BEAUT'S 120 REASONS 




FOR X^ /> ^ 



BEING A UNIVERSALXST* 



BY J*. WALKER, 

Pastor of a Church in Paris, Maiae. 




PORTLAND: 

Shirley and Hyde, Printers, 

1829. 



DISTRICT OF MAINE, S& 

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the ninth day of May, A. 
1828, in the United States of America, JOSEPH WALKER, 
of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a book, 
the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following-, to wit : 
" A Glance at Beau's 120 Reasons for being a Universalist. By 
J. WALKER, Pastor of a Church in Paris, Maine." 

In conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled, 
" An Act for the encouragement of learning-, by securing the copies 
of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such 
copies, during- the tunes therein mentioned :" and also to an act, 
entitled, " An Act supplementary to an Act for the encouragement 
of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, a»d books, to 
the authors and proprietors o» such copies, during the times therein 
mentioned-, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of design- 
ing, engraving and etching historical and other prints." 

tadv TvrncicrP'V \ Clerk of the District ■ 
JOHN MUSSEY, } Court of Maine, 
A true Copy as of record \ 

Attest, JOHN MUSSEY, Clerk D. C. Mmne. 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



Whether the following pages have any re- 
course to ths " basest means of prevarication 
and slander," with which the Oxford Publish- 
er of Dean's Reasons very politely charges the 
Orthodox, the public will judge for themselves. 

In my opinion, it is not Universalism, but 
the opposite 1 4 doctrine, that needs only to be 
known," as established by the clear and infalli- 
ble testimony of Inspiration, " in order to be 
believed." Though "it has to contend with 
the prejudices <fc ignorance of men,"(and their 
wickedness too, which fills them with strong 
aversion to the doctrine of future and everlas- 
ting punishment ;) " yet if we give credit to 
the Scriptures, it must finally prevail." 

If Universalism is now in some places "ma- 
king rapid strides," this is no more than has 
been true of Mahometanism, and at least " an 
hundred and twenty" other " isms" which 



iv 



have, in successive ages and among different 
nations, spread moral desolation and death in 
their course. The progress of a doctrine, aside 
from the nature of the means employed in its 
propagation, and from its actual effects upon 
the dispositions and conduct of its recipients, is 
no evidence of its truth. And when judged of 
by the means employed, and the effects produ- 
ced upon all its firm and sincere believers, that 
system of doctrine, in which eternal punish- 
ment constitutes one article, will exhibit pre- 
eminent claims to our reception. 

It is idle to call the doctrine of 44 everlasting 
punishment," or endless misery, a Pagan doc- 
trine ; for it is a fact capable of the best and 
most decisive proof, that most of the Heathen, 
ancient and modern, have ever been believers 
in Universal Restoration. Equally idle is the 
insinuation, that this doctrine is a tradition of 
the Pharisees, or an error of Mahometans ; for 
it is a fact, that both the Mahometans and the 
Pharisees among the Jews, have ever been, in 
respect of their denominations, advocates of Uni- 
versal Restoration ; in other words, their 
belief has been that no Pharisee and no Ma- 
hometan could, " however enormous his sins," 



V 

incur eternal punishment. Nor have the great 
body of Roman Catholics, been forages, under 
the influence of this doctrine ; for they " have 
made it of none effect by their traditions," res- 
pecting Penance, and Purgatory, and Indi- 
gencies. 

Hence, all attempts to promote Universa- 
lism, and suppress the opposite doctrine, by an 
exhibition of the immoral lives of Pagans, Phar- 
isees, Mahometans, and Papists, is, (if I may 
use the polite language of the Publisher before 
referred to,) to have resort to the basest means 
of prevarication and slander" In proof of this, 
evidence upon evidence might be accumulated 
to almost any extent, and from historians and 
other writers of the first respectability. 

Having made these statements, with a view 
to rectify some prevalent but erroneous impres- 
sions, the writer would now humbly submit 
the following pages to the friends of pure doc- 
trine, vital piety, practical religion, and sound 
morality, in the county of Oxfdrd, and, indeed, 
to all who may condescend to give them a pe^ 
rusal. He cannot but hope, that this feeble 
attempt to enlighten christians, (who are not 

already in possession of better means,) to fur- 
I* 



VI 



nish their children and families with an anti- 
dote to errors, to which they are daily exposed, 
& also, if possible, to awaken the secure sinner 
from the dreams of delusive hope, will receive 
the blessing of Heaven. Let christians pray, 
and pray fervently, for this result. And let all 
read with candor, earnest desire to know what 
the truth is, careful attention to the Holy Scrip- 
tures, and much prayer. 

Though this Work is more especially devot- 
ed to a consideration of Universalism, it is ho- 
ped it may serve to increase a general knowl- 
edge of the Scriptures, and of Revealed Truth. 

J. W. 

Paris, April, 1828. 



A GLANCE AT DEAN'S REASONS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

On the Use of the ivords All, Every, &c. in the holy 
Scriptures. 

We are often told by the advocates of Universal 
Salvation, that the word all does not mean a part. 
However true this assertion may be, in one sense, 
it is, in another, and the sense intended, demonstra- 
bly inaccurate. What saith " the law and the testi- 
mony?" 

Eecl. vii. 2.3,20 : " It is better to go to the house 
of mourning than to the house of feasting; for that 
is the end of all men." " All turn to dust." But it 
is not the end of all men, without exception, to 
sleep in temporal death, and turn to dust. Enoch 
u was translated, that he should not see death," Heb. 
xi. 5. So also was Elijah; instead of dying, and 
turning to dust, he " went up by a whirlwind into 
heaven," 2 Kings, ii. 11. 

In Matt. iii. 5, 6, we are informed that there went 
out to John, " Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all 



8 

the region round about Jordan, and were baptized 
of him." Yet there is reason to believe, that many 
in those places never received the baptism of John. 
At ail events, so much is certain ; " The Pharisees 
and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against 
themselves, not being ba/ptizedof him" Luke vii. SO. 

The apostle requires wives to be " subject to their 
husbands in every thing ;" and " children to obey 
their parents in all things" Eph. v. 24. Col. iii. 
£0. But every thing, and all things, here designate 
only what is consistent with duty to God. Wives 
and children are not required, by either the law or 
the gospel, to lie, or steal, or murder, to please their 
ungodly husbands and parents, who have no fear of 
God before their eyes. They are required to obey 
them, only, " in the Lord," Eph. vi. 1. Matt. x. 37. 
Luke xiv. £6. 

St. John says to Christians, " We know that we 
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness, 
1 Ep. v. 19. That by the whole world, is not here 
intended all mankind, without exception, it is su- 
perfluous to remark ; for in this sense of the word, 
John and his Christian brethren, were a part of the 
world. Nor does the phrase, the whole world, in this 
and many other passages, include the then past, and 
the then future, generations of mankind. And this 
remark is equally true, in application to many of the 
passages, in which are the words, all, every, and the 
like terms of universality. This is a faet which Uni- 




9 



versalists seem to have an unaccountable propensity 
to forget, when expounding their favorite portions 
of scripture. And no wonder ; for their arguments 
would take wings and fly away, if they did not keep 
out of sight a part of the truth, pervert language, and 
envelope themselves in darkness. 

If any one would see more examples of the use of 
the words, all, every, &c. in a restricted sense, he 
may consult the following Scriptures. — All people : 
Deut. xxviii. 10. Josh. xxiv. 18. Acts ii. 47. Luke 
xix. 48; xx. 6. — All nations; Jer. xlvi. 26. Isa. 
xxxvii. 18. Mai. xxiv. 9. Luke xxi. £4. Rom. xvi. 
£6. — All the earth :■ Josh.xxiii. 14. Zeph. iii. 8. 1 
Kings, x £4. Jer. li. 49.— All Israel : 1 Sam. xviii. 
16. 1 Kings, i. £0 ; ii. 15. £ Chrom xxviii. £3. — 
All the Jeivs : Jer. xl. 1£. Acts xxvi. 4. — All the 
world: Luke ii. 1. Rev. iii. 10 ; xiii. 3. — All things; 
Rom. viii. 3£. 1 Cor. iii. £1. Matt. xvii. 11. Zeph. 
i. £. Eph. vi. £1. Phil, iv, 13. Heb. ii. 17. 1 Pet. 

iv. 7. 1 John ii. £0.— All men: £ Cor. iii. £. 1 
Thes. ii. 15. Zech. viii. 10. Luke xxi. 17. Mark 

v. £0.— Every city, place, thing, &c. Acts xv. £1. 
Mark xvi. £0. Luke iv. 37. Rev. vii. 1£. Gen. vi. 
17; ix. 3. 1 Cor. i. 5. Isa. ix. £0. Mark viii. £5. 
Luke xvi. 16. 

Will any one now say, that the scriptures assert 
what is not true ? This does by no means follow. 
Words are merely arbitrary signs, which have no 
meaning aside from the use they obtain among man- 



10 



kind. Neither their Utters, nor their sounds, have 
any natural connexion with the idea they are used 
to express. This may be made plain by a single ex- 
ample. The words, white in English, blanc in 
French, leukos ]n Greek, and Candidas in Latin, dif- 
ferent as they are in their letters and sounds, are all 
used to express the same color. And had those words 
only been so used, they would just as naturally have 
denoted the color of red, or green, or blue, as the 
color we now designate by them. It is not nature, 
but use, that gives words all their meaning. Inde- 
pendent of their use, no word has in fact any mean- 
ing. Every word, therefore, expresses just what it 
means according to the use it has obtained among 
mankind. Ignorant of this use of any word, it con- 
veys to us no correct idea. This is the reason, why 
we cannot understand the discourse of a Hindoo, as 
well as that of an American. 

It is not necessary to my present purpose, to en- 
ter into any consideration of the different classes of 
propositions which logicians denominate universal^ 
One thing is certain. In no age, have mankind con- 
fined the use of the words, all, every, &lc. to such 
propositions, as are absolutely universal. Those 
words have ever been used as the sign of universal- 
ity in propositions, which are known to have excep- 
tions. When Solomon said, " All turn to dust," he 
knew, that Enoch and Elijah were exceptions. And 
Matthew knew, when he said, that "All Judea and 



11 



all the region round about Jordan, were baptized of 
John," that the " Pharisees and lawyers" were ex- 
ceptions. Yet they stated only what was true. Fop 
they used language, according to its common accep- 
tation. 



SECTION I. 

Proving that Endless Punishment is just, and is 
the penalty of the law. — Reasons 16, 109. 

REASON XVI. 

" Though the death that followed transgression, 
affected both body and soul, and, for any thing men' 
could do, would have reigned forever ; yet in the 
purpose of God, it was not eternal." Hosea xiii. 14 
— " O death, I will be thy plague ; O grave, I will be 
thy destruction !" 

Evidence that God will bless, and forever save the 
children of his grace, is no evidence, that all our 
race will ever be his children by adoption, and par- 
take of the provisions of his house. It is true, that 
all mankind, (whoever die, see Introduction) will be 
raised from the grave, and be delivered from the 
power of temporal death. But some will then be 
" unjust," and will " come forth to the resurrection 
of damnation," and remain filthy forever. John v, 
£9. Actsxxiv. 5. Rev. xxii. If; xiv. 11. 

Mr. D. admits that the death, consequent on 



12 

transgression, "for any thing that man could do, 
would have reigned forver." By forever, he means 
absolutely endless ; lor in any other sense of the 
word, he (being a Restorationist, and admitting fu- 
ture punishment.) believes in death forever. Con- 
sequently, it follows from his own statement, either 
that endless punishment is just, or that salvation is 
not of grace, or mere undeserved favor. For all 
that men could do, God might justly have abandon- 
ed them to all the horrors of endless death. To de- 
ny this, is to deny all grace in salvation ; for it is a 
dictate of reason, that there can be no grace in God's 
delivering mankind from evils, to which he could 
not justly have abandoned them. 

Thus we see that, as surely as there is any grace 
in our deliverance from death forever, endless pun- 
ishment is just. 

If any deny, that salvation is of grace, they ought 
at once to avow Deism, and no longer make preten- 
sions to faith in Christianity. For all who admit 
the doctrine of salvation by grace, must also, if they 
will be consistent, admit, that God was under no ob- 
ligation, in point of justice to the human family, to 
provide a Saviour. Hence they must admit, further, 
that he might, in perfect justice to mankind, have 
left them all to suffer an eternal death, an endless 
punishment. The justice of eternal punishment is 
further defended in Sec. 6. 



13 



REASON CIX. 

" Endless misery is against the promises, and 
therefore not contained in the law." Gal. iii. £1 : 
¥ Is the law then against the promises of God ? God 
forbid !" 

Why did not the author quote the whole of the 
verse, but that he saw it would at once, nnd direct- 
ly, contradict his own proposition ? (i If there had 
been a law given, which could have given life, verily 
righteousness should have been by the law." The 
law is not against the promises, because it cannot 
give life. To be against the promises, in the sense 
of the Apostle, is to supersedejhem, and make them 
unnecessary. This he says, again and again, the law 
did not do. See V. 17, 13, ££, £3. In a word, the 
law is not against the promises, because it does not 
disannul them, or does not make them of none effect, 
but concludes all in unbelief, and shuts up to the 
faith of Christ all men, as the only possible way of 
escape from the wrath to come. 

It is not, therefore, the doctrine of endless mise- 
ry, but the denial of it, that -is against the promises 
of God. It is Mr. D's doctrine, that is against the 
promises; for it teaches-, that mankind may suffer 
the penalty of the lew, (it being only a temporary 
punishment,) and thus save themselves by the law. 
It teaches another way of salvation, besides that by 
Christ. It teaches, t^at all mankind must have been 
saved, had Christ never come, to put away sin by 




2 



14 



the sacrifice of himself. It teaches, that all must be 
saved, even if they eternally reject the gospel of 
Christ. 

If this is not to make the law against the promis- 
es, it is forever impossible to conceive how any 
one thing can ever.be against another. Hence, ev- 
ery one who denies endless punishment to be the 
penalty of the law, contradicts the Apostle, and pla- 
ces the law against the promises. But whose doc- 
trine will stand ; theirs, or the Apostle's? If that 
of the latter, then " endless misery" is the penalty of 
the law. 

Having now seen, that endless punishment is just, 
and is the penalty of the law ; we shall, in the fol- 
lowing pages, endeavor to ascertain whether the 
Scriptures teach, that justice, in the infliction of 
such punishment, will, or will not, ever be execu- 
ted. 



SECTION n. 

Reasons 1 — 15, quoted at full length. 

REASON I. 

" God has declared by St. Paul, 1 Tim. ii. 4 : He 
will have all men to be Laved." 

The word here translated ivill, is not expressive 
of <x purpose or desree. It is not the same word, 
which the apostle uses in Rom, vi-ii. 29, 30, and oth- 



15 



er places, where he declares the gracious purposes 
of Heaven. — It here expresses merely the precep- 
tive ivill of God, which requires " all men to be 
saved," by coming " unto the knowledge of the 
truth," or, in other words, receiving and obeying the 
gospel. God commands all men to be Saved ; and, 
as the means of salvation, to corne unto the knowl- 
edge of the truth. 

But we all know that his preceptive ivill, or his 
will expressed in his commands, is not universally 
obeyed. Contrary to this ' i will of God," impurity 
has never been banished from the earth. 1 Thess. 
iv. 3. And contrary to " the will of God," the 
church of Christ has never wholly, " with well- 
doing, put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." 
1 Pet. ii. 15. — See Reason iv. 

REASON II. 

" God has but one will. Job, xxiii. 13. " He is 
in one mind, and who can turn him ?" 

This reason, being founded on the preceding, is, 
of Louise, already answered. For if the " one 
mind" of God, here intended, be the same as his 
" will" that all be saved, it is obvious to reply, that 
his ivill is frustrated, by every fornicator, and vari- 
ous other characters. And what will be their doom? 
" They which do such things, shall not inherit the 
kingdom of God." Gal. v, 19 - £1. 

It is true, the words of Job are a declaration of 



\ 



16 



the immutability of Divine purposes. But the pur- 
poses of Jehovah are not the same thing, as his will, 
that every one should abstain from impurity, the ig- 
norance of foolish men be silenced, and all men 
saved by obeying the truth as it is in Jesus. Nor 
do Universalists themselves believe, if we may judge 
from their own language, that "the revealed pur- 
pose of God" and his " revealed will" are the same 
thing. See Sec. 6. 

REASON III. 

"Jesus taught his disciples to pray, Mat. vi. 
"Thy will be done." 

It is matter of fact, that St. Paul prayed " thrice 5 * 
for the removal of " the thorn in his flesh," and pray- 
ed acceptably, and yet, that the thorn never departed 
from him. 1 Cor. xii. 7-9. Hence it is equally 
a matter of fact, that the disciples of Christ may 
obey his command, even in the Universalist sense 
of it, and yet all men never be saved. God may 
answer them, as he did the apostle, in some other 
way than by a literal bestowment of what they ask. 
Besides, their prayer is not a prayer for the salva- 
tion of any who have died in their sins. If I mis- 
take not, those Universalists who believe in a tempo- 
rary future punishment, have not yet adopted the 
Popish custom of praying for the deliverance of 
souls from " the pains of purgatory." 

Christians have for ages prayed, acceptably, that 



the will of God, as expressed in his holy precepts. 
" may be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Yet this 
will of God is not thus done ; many do not love 
God at all ; nor do any love him with all the heart, 
and soul, and mind, and strength." But it is obvious 
that their prayer does not include those who have 
perished in their iniquities, nor those who, though 
still in the land of the living, have committed 6i the 
sin unto death." 1 John, v. 16. Mark, iii. £9. 

REASON IV. 

" God is opposed to the eternal perdition of any 
of the human race. 2 Pet. iii. 9. He is "not will- 
ing that any should perish." 

Christ was equally 66 opposed" to the Jews' rejec- 
tion of him, and equally " not willing" that they 
should thus bring ruin upon their own heads. He 
would have gathered them, but they would not ; and 
because they would not, he even " wept over them," 
at the same time that he declared, u Behol<!, your 
house is left unto you desolate," and that 4 the things 
belonging to their peace were hid from their eyes.' 
Mat. xxiii. 37, 58. Luke, xix. 41, 4£. 

The words, " not willing," are never used by au- 
thors, who write good English, to express a purpose 
or decree. These words, in their common, and so 
far as I have observed, their invariable use, convey 
iLio such idea. Nor does the Greek of Peter desig- 
nate a Divine purpose ; it being the same word, 
2* 



18 



which is used in Mark xv. 15, where it is said, " Pi- 
late willing to content the people, released Barna- 
bas unto them," and also in Luke xxii. 42, where 
Christ says, "Father, if thou be willing, remove 
this cup from me." Other passages might be noti- 
ced, But the meaning of Peter, especially if we 
read the whole verse, is obvious : viz. that it is not 
the pleasure of God, as revealed in the benevolent 
principles and commands of the gospel, " that any 
should perish : but that all should come to repen- 
tance." 

These words of Peter, as well as the w 7 ords of 
Paul. 1 Tim. ii. 4, which have already been noticed, 
are always explained by Universalists, as teaching 
that God has decreed the salvation of all men. But 
the original word used by Paul, is the same as in 
the passage where Christ said to the incorrigible 
Jews, " How often would I have gathered," &c. 
And the original word used by Peter, is the same as 
in the third Epistle of John, where it is said of Di- 
otrephes, " Neither doth he himself receive the 
brethren, and forbi Jdeth them that would" In these 
examples, it is evident, that the words merely ex- 
press benevolent feelings. And perhaps, as many 
suppose, this is all that Peter and Paul express by 
them ; though I have given a somewhat different ex- 
position of their language, believing that they had in 
view the duty of mankind, as well as Divine benev- 
olence. At any rate, neither of them teach, that 



19 



God has purposed the salvation of all men. This 
view of their language is utterly out of the ques- 
tion. 

REASON V. 

"God created man in his own moral image. Gen. 
t £6." 

This is as valid a reason for believing that all men 
are now holy, as that they ever will be. As God has 
suffered them to become unholy, he may, for all rea- 
son can argue from their primeval innocence, suffer 
them to remain so forever. 

REASON VI. 

" All the attributes of God tend to "promote hap- 
piness. 1 John, iv. 8. " God is love/' 

This reason is equally powerful as an argument 
that there never has been any such thing as misery, 
as that misery will ever cease to exist. For the at- 
tributes of God are " from everlasting to everlast- 
ing," the same. Their tendency to promote happi- 
ness can never be increased. Nevertheless, it is 
matter of fact, thai there has ever been much unhap- 
' piness in the world. And as all this has been in op- 
position to the unvarying tendency of the divine at- 
tributes to promote happiness ; it is obvious, that 
these attributes prove nothing against the endless 
continuance of pain and wretchedness in the uni- 
verse. 

But it should be remembered, that the attributes 



90 



oi God do not tend to make any creature happy in 
his sins. To " the carnal mind," God is the most 
abhorrent object in the universe. When the incor- 
rigibly wicked see him in all his glory at the last 
day, they will " cry to the mountains and rocks, fall 
on us, and hide us, from the face of him that sitteth 
upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb/' 
Rev. vi. 16, 

REASON VII. 

" God's love is the source of mans salvation ; for 
" God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- 
gotten Son. John, iii. 16. Not to condemn the world 
but that the world through him might be saved. V. 
17/' 

God did not give his Son, that the world, or a sin- 
gle individual, might be saved, unconditionally. 
Please to read the whole of verse 16th. <: God so 
loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish « 
but have everlasting life." By consequence, whoso- 
ever believeth not, shall not have life, but perdition. 
a He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, 
but the wrath of God abideth on him. V. 36. Read 
also v. 18, 19. 

It is true, the grand object of God in sending his 
Son into the world, was not their condemnation, but 
their salvation. But this no more proves that all 
will be saved, than that St. Paul was instrumental of 
the conversion of all to whom he preached the Go? 



21 



pel« The grand object of God in putting him into 
the ministry, was not their increasing hardness and 
guilt, and consequent ruin, but their conversion, 
pardon, and eternal life. Acts, xxvi. 18. Yet to 
some of his hearers, he was only " a savor of death 
unto death." £ Cor. ii. 16. 

REASON VIII. 

" God's love to us is the cause of our love to him, 
and to each other as christians: for, 1 John, iv. 16, 
41 We love him because he first loved us," and v. xxh 
" He that loved God, loveth his brother also." 

Some love neither God nor man. " I know you, 
that ye have not the love of God in you." John v. 
4£. Every Cain hates the people of God, abides in 
death, is a murderer in heart, and has not eternal life 
in him. 1 John, iii. 13- 15. 

REASON IX. 

" All whom God loves, will be brought to love and 
serve him, as it is written, Ps. 86 ; 9, " All na- 
tions whom thou hast made, shall come and wor- 
ship before thee, O Lord ; and shall glorify thy 
name." 

It does by no means follow, that God loves, with 
complacency, all nations, because he has made them. 

Making, and loving, in any sense of the word, 
are quite different things. God does not exercise 
a love of complacency towards all mankind ; but 
" is angry with the wicked every day." Ps. 7: 11. 



22 



And he has declared, that " the wicked shall be 
turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." 
Ps. 9 : 17. ^ 

In the Millenium, * all nations shall worship and 
glorify God ;' that is, all the nations then on the 
earth. 

Nor is there here any difficulty with the word, alL 
Read Dan. 3 : 7, 12. " All the people, the nations, 
and the languages, fell down aisd worshipped the 
golden image" set up by Nebuchadnezzar, and yet, 
i 4 certain Jews" neither fell down nor worshipped. 
Neither in the Bible, nor in human compositions, 
nor in common conversation, is the word all, so 
used as to exclude exceptions. — &ee Introduction. 

REASON X. 

" Salvation is the effect of divine goodness. Ps. 
145: 9. " The Lord is good to all, and his tender 
mercies are over all his works." 

It has never been doubted by any one, that all 
mankind are subjects of divine goodness, in respect 
of the common blessings of this life, as long as their 
state of probation continues. And this is, evident- 
ly, the kind of goodness of which David here speaks. 
And by "all the ivories" of God, it is equally evi- 
dent, he means not only rational, but also irrational 
creatures, v. 16. " Thou openest thine hand, and 
satisfiets the desire of every living thing." Hence, 
if Mr. D, has proved the salvation of all men, he has 



m 

also proved the salvation of all " birds, and four- 
footed beasts, and creeping things." 

REASON XI. 

" I s he first intimation of salvation in the Scrip- 
tures, contained in the declaration of God to the 
serpent, imports the destruction of all evil ; Gen. 
3 : 15. The seed of the woman " shall bruise thy 
head." 

I never knew before, that bruising the head of a 
General strikes him, and all hi§ soldiery, into non- 
existence. Our Fathers bruised the head of the 
English nation, broke in sunder the chains of op- 
pression, and became a free and independent peo- 
ple; therefore, according to the Universalist logic, 
Old England, head and members, is all plunged into 
the gulf of annihilation. But seriously, a serpent's 
nead may be much bruised, without terminating his 
existence. In like manner, the power and kingdom 
of satan may be much reduced, and circumscribed 
within narrow limits; and yet, he, and many with 
him, live in sin and wretchedness forever. 

REASON XII. 

4i The gift of a Saviour's robe of righteousness 
to a fallen world, was shown in the merciful con- 
duct of the Deity to our first parents, immediately 
after they had sinned. Gen. 3 : £1, " The Lord 
God made coats of skins, and clothed them." 

What is this but saying, If God gives one man 




24 



any thing, he will give all men every thing ? But,- 
unhappily for the universalist argument, the Scrip- 
tures no .where intimate, that the " coats of skins" 
were designed to typify any thing ; so much as 
even the salvation of one person. We might as 
well, and as conclusively, argue the salvation of all 
men, from the fact that " God clothes the grass of 
the field :" though it be soon not only cut down, 
but " cast into the oven." Matt. 6 : 30. 

REASON XIII. 

" Though sorrow and grief have so widely and so 
long prevailed in the world : yet, Isa. £5 : 8,"" 
The Lord God will wipe away tears from off al! 
faces and, Rev. £1:4, " There shall be no 
more sorrow, nor crying." 

For answer to the argument, as founded on Isa, 
£5 : 8, read in the same chapter, V. 10, " And 
Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as 
straw is trodden down for the dung-hill ;" which 
emphatically expresses utter ruin and the deepest 
degradation. By " all faces," the prophet did not 
mean the faces of all men, but of all the pious. Nor 
is Rev. £1 : 4, any more to the point. The con^ 
text speaks of two classes of men : one, who over- 
come, and inherit all things ;'• another, who are 
" fearful, and unbelieving," &c. and " shall have 
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and 
brimstone." V. 7, 8. 



25 

REASON XIV. 

u Though death with all its evils entered into the 
world by sin, and passed upon all men, for that all 
have sinned ; yet^ Isa. 25 : 8, " He (God) will 
swallow up death in victory :" Rev. 21 : 4, " There 
shall be no more death ;" for, 1 Cor. 15 : 56, 
" Death the last enemy shall be destroyed." 

With respect to Isa. £5 : 8, read again V 10; 
and with respect to Rev. £1 : 4, read again, V. 7, 
8, which have just been in part quoted.— There is a 
"second death for the wicked. But the righteous will, 
by their "resurrection unto life," not only be deliver- 
ed from the first or temporal death, but have a glori- 
ous immortality in heaven. This is what the apos- 
tle teaches in I Cor. 15 : 58 ; a verse, which, if the 
subject, of the chapter be attended to, will be seen to 
speak only of the truly pious, and not of the whole 
race of man. But for other passages of scripture, 
even so much as the resurrection of the wicked 
could not be proved. 

REASON XV. 

" Though all have sinned after Adam's example, 
and come short of the glory [of God ;] yet, John 1 : 
£4," The Lamb of God taketh away the sin of the 
world." 

God says, Ezek. 24 : 13, " 1 have purged thee, 
and thou wast not purged that is, after I had purg- 
ed thee. So Christ may be said to " take away the 
sin of the world," though it is not actually taken 
3 



26 



away. Neither of those passages appear to Speak 
of the actual removal of sin or guilt, but only of the 
provision made, and the means used, for its remov- 
al. God made provision, and used means, to purge 
the corrupt Jews ; and, in this sense, he purged 
them, though they continued as vile as ever. Christ 
has made provision, and instituted means, for tak- 
ing away the sin of the world ; and, in this sense, he 
does take it away, though multitudes have much more 
sin, than if he had done nothing. John 15 : 2£. 

But suppose we admit, that the taking away the 
sin of the world did import its actual removal ; the 
expression would be perfectly consistent with the 
endless perdition of many of our race. The Bible 
abounds in examples, in which by the world is not 
intended every individual of the whole race of man, 
" The fall" of the Jews was not " the riches of the 
ivorld" in the Universalist sense of the word ; for the 
Jews who fell, were a part of the human family. 
Rom. 11 : 12. Nor was " the casting away of them 
the reconciling of the world," in the Universalist 
sense of the word ; for those who were cast away 
were a part of the human race. V. 15. The disci- 
ples of Christ, though a part of the human family, 
" are not of the world." John 17 : 16. 

The word world, in its more common use by the 
inspired writers, denotes merely a large number, 
or, at the most, a large proportion of mankind. Nor 
does this word, of itself ? designate character : but 



27 



is used to denominate the unregenerate, merely her 
cause they were formerly, as they now are, the 

larger part of mankind. 

Hence, as God the Holy Ghost uses language in 
his word, Christ may actually take away the sin of 
the world, and receive the world to heaven ; and 
yet, hundreds, and thousands, and millions of our 
race, " go away into everlasting punishment." 

If it be asked, whether it be a sentiment among 
the believers in future and eternal punishment, that 
a large proportion of the human race will be saved, I 
answer, Yes. It is believed that, however small the 
proportion of the pious to the wicked, in all former 
periods, and in the present age, a time is coming, 
when all who shall then live on the earth will be 
righteous. It is believed, that such vast multitudes 
of pious persons are yet to inhabit the earth, that 
at the last day, it will be seen, that hundreds, if not 
thousands, will be saved, to one that is lost. Though 
often reproached and slandered, as maintaining 
that 6 satan will finally run away with far th e greater 
part of God's rational offspring,' the Orthodox be- 
lieve no such thing. See Hopkins on the Milleni- 
um, Edwards, Emerson, &c. 



28 



SECTION III. 

REASONS XVII— XXXI. 

Stated in the ivords of the Author, when necessary 
to exhibit fully his meaning ; at other times, more 
briefly. 

REASON XVII. 

" Christ opened a new and living way to the fa- 
vor and presence of God: he hath entered into hea- 
ven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for 
us." Heb. ix, £4. 

But it is equally true, that sinners do not all ac- 
cept the new and living way of access to the favor 
of God. John v. 40 : ' ; Ye will not come to me, that 
ye might have life." And for those who sin wilful- 
ly, in opposition to a " knowledge of the truth, there 
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain 
fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indigna- 
tion, which shall devour the adversaries," or ene- 
mies of Christ; and they shall have " a sorer pun- 
ishment," than the despisers of the law of Moses : 
Heb. x. £6— £9. 

REASON XVIII. 

By accepting the offering of Abel, God showed 
his purpose of saving th^ world by the orTerihg of 
Christ, who hath" 'offered himself without spot to 
God, to purge our consciences from dead works, 5 
&lc. Heb. ix. 14. 

So, because " the Lord had respect unto Abel, and 
to his offering, but unto Cain and his offering had 



29 



not respect, 19 as we read, Gen. iv. 4, 5 ; therefor^ 
Cain, and all like him, will surely be saved by 
Christ. If this be sound argument, what can be un- 
blushing folly 3 The whole history of Abel and Cain 
teaches us, that God will accept believers, and re- 
ject unbelievers. For it was " by faith" that " Abel 
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than 
Cain :" Heb. xi. 4. 

* REASON XIX. 

" God's preservation of Cain, after his murder of 
his brother, indicated his intention of saving from 
death a sinful world, by the death of his Son ; he 
' set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should 
kill him ;' and thus, by a special providence, secured 
him from death:" Gen. iv. 15. 

What is this but saying, that, because vengeance 
was not executed upon Cain immediately, no mur- 
derer, and no sinner, -can ever perish? But such 
reasoning is no more new, than strange. Ps. x. 15 : 
u Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God ? he 
hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.* 9 
Perhaps Cain reasoned in the same manner, as his 
genuine descendants. " Because sentence against 
an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the 
heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do 
evil:" Eccl. viii. 11. 

REASON XX. 

The preservation of Noah and family in the ark, 
3* 



so 



teaches the salvation of all men from the floods of 
death. 1 Pet ii. £1 : 'The like figure whereunto 
even baptism doth now Save us." Acts ii. 38, 39: 
i Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, &c. and 
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost ; for the 
promise is unto you and to your children, and to all 
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God 
shall call; 

By those afar off, the inspired writers always 
mean the Gentiles. Peter declared that the prom- 
ise was to as many of them as the Lord should call, 
and to no more. Nor did he say the Jews should 
receive "the gift of the Holy Ghost," ^unless they 
should " repent," and " be baptized in the name of 
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;" that is, with 
faith in him for pardon, or justification. But bap- 
tism will save no unbelieving and impenitent person : 
Mark xvi. 16 ; Luke xiii. 3. 

The whole history of Noah's preservation teach- 
> es us, most clearly, that God will save all believers, 
and destroy all unbelieveis. He was a believer; and 
those* that perished in the flood, unbelievers. He 
was saved by faith ; and they were destroyed for 
their unhelief and its various fruits of unrighteous- 
ness : Heb. xi. 7. 

REASON XXI. 

The wonderful manner in which the lives of all 
who entered the ark, were preserved, sets forth the 
efficacy of God's covenant of grace in Christ. 2 
Sam. xxiii. v. '•' He hath made with me an everlast- 
ing covenant, ordered in all things, and sure " 



3i 



None but believers can in truth say, " He hath 
made with me an everlasting covenant." To such, 
the covenant of God is as sure, as his " oath and 
promise, two immutable things," can make it. But 
the words of the Apostle, " all men have not faith," 
have been true in every age, from the time of the 
revolt in Paradise to the present day. And, in res- 
pect to unbelievers, of what avail is the efficacy of 
God's covenant with his people ? See, for answer 
John iii. 36. 

REASON XXII. 

Universal salvation is argued from the " bow in 
the cloud," as a seal of God's " covenant with Noah 
and all flesh." Gen. 9 : 13. 

But if this proves the salvation of all men, it equal- 
ly proves the salvation of every living thing ; fowl, 
cattle, and every beast of the earth. For that cov- 
enant was made as expressly with every kind of ani- 
mal that perished by the flood, as with Noah. v. 10. 
An argument which goes to people heaven with eve- 
ry kind of animal, must be preposterous indeed.— 
Reason 10. 

Nor is it any more to the purpose to say that the 
rainbow, which God appointed to be a sign of his 
perpetual goodness to all flesh in temporal things ; 
is also the sign of Christ the conqueror of death, and 
the glorious pledge of the covenant of his grace, who 
bringeth salvation to all men," because we read ; 



a2 

" There was a rainbow round about the throne," and 
" a rainbow was upon his head." Rev. 4 : £. 10 : 1. 
For every intelligent and unbiassed reader well 
knows, that such language is only a. figurative rep- 
resentation of the glory of Christ. 

We are no where in the Bible, informed, that either 
the Father or the Son " bringeth salvation to all 
men ;" but only, that " the grace of God that bring- 
eth salvation, hath appeared to all men." Tit. £ : 11. 
But of what avail is this to those who do not receive 
and obey its " teaching" ; viz. to " deny ungodliness 
and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and 
godly in this present world ?" v. 12. 

REASONS XXIII— XXX. 

" These reasons are founded on what God f de- 
clared' to Abraham, ' repeated' to him, 4 renewed' to 
Isaac, i confirmed' to Jacob, &tc. Though given as 
eight reasons, they are but one. The Scriptures ci- 
ted are— Gen. 18: 18. Gal. 3: 16. Gen. 12:3. £2: 
18. 26: 3—5. £8: 14. Gal. 3: 9. Heb. 6: 17. 

I begin with the last, viz. " Wherein God willing 
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise 
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an 
oath." Nothing can be more obvious, than that the 
Apostle here speaks merely of the " heirs of prom- 
ise," and that he gives not the least intimaion res- 
pecting their number. But his words clearly imply 
that their number is not co-extensive with the hu- 
man race. The designation of a particular class of 



33 



persons, always car ties with it an idea of another 
class. When we speak of " the heirs to an estate," 
we always mean certain persons, exclusive of others 
who are not heirs. 

Gal. 3 : 19. " He saith not, And to seeds as of ma- 
ny, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." 
It is incumbent on those who cite this passage in 
proof of Universalism, first to demonstrate the uni- 
versality of faith. For it is certain that none are 
"included in Christ" but believers. 

The other passages are produced by the author, 
because they speak of " all the nations." &tc. as bles- 
sed in Abraham, and in his seed.' As to the word, 
All, see Introduction. Also Rea. 9. 

But why argue here with the author a moment? 
Look at his next Reason, and let him confute him- 
self. 

REASON XXXI. 

KM nations have never yet been blessed in Christ, 
much less have all the kindreds and families of the 
earth been blessed with the light of the Gospel ; 
this blessed promise of salvation to all, /remains yet 
to be fulfilled ; for Micah 7: 20, " Thou wilt per- 
form the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, 
which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the 
days of old." 

It is true, the millenial glory and prosperity of the 
church will surely corne, when all nations, families, 
and kindreds, then on the earth, will be blessed in 



34 



Abraham and his seed. But what does this prove, 
respecting the salvation of every individual of our 
race ? Why, surely just nothing. Families, and ev- 
en nations, have never yet been blessed in Christ, 
and have died in total ignorance of the Gospel. They 
have, to borrow the words of our author, in his next 
Reason, 16 perished m their iniquity." What then, is 
to be their eternal portion, their endless state ? Un- 
less their deliverance from perdition can be proved, 
all his preceding reasons, and all that follow, are, he 
himself being judge, " empty as the baseless fabric 
of a dream." 



SECTION IV. 

Mr. jys principal reasons for believing in the Res- 
toration of the Damned : Viz. 3£— 36, 40, 69, 95. 
103, 108. 

REASONS XXXII— XXXIV. 

The argument is this : u Though the old world 
were disobedient in the days of Noah, and perish- 
ed in their iniquity, yet Jesus owned them his. by 
visiting them in their prison, after his death he 
" preached to them the Gospel of salvation, though 
they had died in their sins so many years before ;" 
therefore, " those who perish in every age, will have 
the same privilege," The scriptures cited as proof, 
and which will be quoted in a moment, are 1 Pet. 3 : 
18— £0. 4 : 6. Ezek. 18 29. 

In regard to this argument it may be remarked, 



35 



tliat the conclusion does not follow from the premis- 
es, nor are the premises supported. 

1. The conclusion does not follow from the 
premises. This must be obvious to every person, 
of much discernment and reflection, and whose 
intellectual vision is not obscured by a blind at- 
tachment to some favorite system. Admitting that 
Christ did, after his death, visit the spirits of the 
old world in their prison of woe, and there preach 
to them the Gospel ; it would no more follow from 
this, that " all who perish in every age, will have 
the same privilege," than it follows from the health 
and riches and honors of one person, that every per- 
son is destined to have the same blessings. Equal- 
ly obvious is it, that the passage of scripture cited 
in support of the conclusion, affords it no support 9 
" Are not my ways equal ?" saith the Lord. Equal 
as here used, does Hot express an equality in the 
distribution of blessings to all men. Read another 
clause in the verse : " Are not your ways unequal 2" 
The meaning is obvious, even at the first blush of 
the words. God's ways are equal, in that all his re- 
quirements and all his judgments are perfectly just ; 
and the ways of men are unequal, in that they do 
not keep inviolate divine precepts, nor humble 
themselves under the frowns of his providence. 

This truth was exhibited by the mouth of the 
prophet, with special reference to the proverb among 
the Israelites, " The fathers have eaten sour grapes, 



86 



and the children's teeth are set on edge." V. 1. 
They believed, or at least pretended, that they were 
suffer) j.g under various calamities, not for their own 
Sins, but for the sins of their fathers. This was not 
true. Of the son, who refrained from the sins of 
his father, God says, " he shall not die for the in- 
iquity of his father, he shall surely live." V. 17. 
In a word, God's ways are equal, in that he never 
punishes an innocent son for the iniquity of his fath- 
er. Read the whole chapter. 

£, Tbe-premises of Mr. D. are not supported. To 
prove this, however, after showing the fallacy of 
his conclusions from them, is, let it be observed, of 
no consequence, as it respects our inquiry into the 
truth or falsehood of Universalism. Still, it may 
be well briefly to explain the passages of Scripture, 
which he adduces. 

1 Pet. 3 : 18- 20. " Being put to death in the 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit ; by which also he 
went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which 
sometimes were disobedient, when once the long 
suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while 
the ark was preparing." This passage gives no in- 
timation that Christ did, after his death on the 
cross, visit the spirits of the old world For hoiv 
did he go and preach to them ? It was, the passage 
informs us, " by the Spirit." It says, " quickened 
by the Spirit, by ivhich" i. e. by the Spirit, " he 
went and preached/' &c. 



37 



The passage also informs us when he went and 
preached to them, by the Spirit It was, ivhen the 
long suffering of God waited, in the days of Noah ; 
it was while the ark was preparing. It was during 
the " hundred and twenty years, 11 in which Noah 
was il a preacher of righteousness" to that wicked 
generation. Gen. 6 : S. 2 Pet. 2:5. During that 
period of exceedingly long suffering, a period much 
longer than the whole life of man atthe'present day, 
the Spirit not only strove with those obstinate sin- 
ners, but influenced and guided Noah in his preach- 
ing to them. Thus Christ, not in person after his 
death, but by the Spirit, preached to the old world? 
in the days of Noah, even while the ark was prepar- 
ing, and the long-suffering of God delayed the del- 
uge. 

If it be inquired, in what prison were the Spirits of 
the ante-deluvian world, it may be replied that, ac- 
cord log to Mr. D. the prison of hell is intended by 
Peter. I can see no reason for dissent from him s 
in this opinion. And this suggests an answer to 
another question, often asked, viz. when were they 
spirits in prison 1 k.6 soon as they " died in their 
sins," and " perished in their iniquity." Peter speaks 
of them as continuing to be in prison, in his day* 
Nor does it yet appear, that they ever have been de- 
livered from it, or that they ever will be delivered. 
Dreadful as this idea is to think upon, it is not safe 
to believe the contrary without evidence. But as 




38 



yet, no evidence, and nothing that so much as looks 
like evidence, appears. 

If any choose to understand by the prison either 
u the human body," or " human corruptions," the 
passage will still be equally far from affording the 
least support to the doctrine of universal restoration. 
For the fact, that Christ preached to the ante-del u- 
vians by the Spirit, while they were in the body, and 
wallowing in their corruptions, is no evidence, that 
they ever have been, or ever will be, restored to the 
moral image and the favor of God. Many hear the 
Gospel, who never cordially believe and obey it. 
Luke 19 : 42. 

In proof that the old world embraced the Gospel, 
it is in vain to quote 1 Pet. iv : 6. " For this cause 
was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, 
that they might be judged according to men in the 
flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit." The 
very words of Peter show that the persons, of whom 
he here speaks, whoever they were, did hear the 
Gospel before they died. The Gospel was preach- 
ed to them, and they are now dead, is the obvious 
statement of the Apostle. They heard the Gospel 
preached, were afterwards judged according to men 
in the flesh, though they lived according to God in 
the Spirit, and then died 

By men in the flesh, we are to understand such 
persons, as are mentioned in V. 4. " They think it 
strange that ye run not wnh them to the same excess 



39 



of riot, speaking evil of you" Real christians were 
judged according to men in the flesh, when their un- 
godly opposers, who continued to " walk in lascivi- 
ousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquet- 
ings, and abominable idolatries," spake evil of them, 
defamed their characters, and made them as the filth 
of the wo rld, and the offscouring of all things. But 
they were judged falsely. Though judged according 
to the depraved inclinations and passions oj the un- 
regenerate and the vicious, they " lived according 
to God in the Spirit," or in obedience to his com- 
mands. 

The verse under consideration does not appear 
to have so much as the least allusion to the old 
world. It speaks of christians, who lived in the 
faith arid practice of the Gospel, though most falsely 
judged by an ungodly world. And there is some 
reason for believing, that it has an especial respect 
to such christians, as had suffered martyrdom. .Re- 
ferring to the death of Christ in V. 1. the Apostle 
calls upon christians, saying, M Arm yourselves with 
the same mind." The martyrs, like their Master, 
were not only falsely judged worthy of death by their 
persecuters, but were actually put to death as the 
vilest malefactors. 

If it be asked, in what sense it is said, that the 
Gospel was preached to them for this cause, n Jt on- 
ly that they might live according to God in the Spir- 
it, but also that they might be judged according td 



40 



men in the flesh ; we answer, in the same sense as- 
Christ says, " I came not to send peace, but a sword. 
For I am come to set a man at variance against 
father, and the (laughter against her mother, and the 
daughter-in-law againsther mother-in-law." Mat. x/ 
34, 85, The Gospel of Christ has, in every age, 
been the occasion of much variance among mankind, 
and even between the nearest relatives. The Apos- 
tle would have christians to whom he wrote, under- 
stand and remember, that their persecutions, and 
their daily exposure to a violent death, were the nat- 
ural consequence of the Gospel's being cordially re- 
ceived by some, but hated and rejected by others. 
" If they call the Master of the house Beelzebub, how 
much more them of his household ?" 

" REASON XXXV. 

"The Scriptures promise happiness to extend as 
far beyond misery and punishment, as thousands ex- 
ceeds unite ; see Ex xx. 5,6. "Visiting the in- 
iquity of the fathers. &e. " For his auger endureth 
but for a moment," &e. Ps. xxx. 5. 

"Them that hate me," and " them that love nie," 
are two different classes of persons; and, for all 
any thing intimated in the passage, may retain their 
distinctive characters forever. Though God visits 
the iniquity of the fathers upon their wicked chil- 
dren, who walk in their steps, unto the third and 
fourth generation of them that hate him ; yet he 
shows mercy unto thousands of generations of them 



41 

that love Mm and keep his commandments. That 
here is no promise, and not even the le*ast intimation 
that the " misery and punishment" of the genera- 
tions that hate God, shall ever come to an end, it is 
superfluous to remark. 

And equally superfluous is it to observe, that the 
quotation from Ps. xxx, is addressed only to the 
n saints," and speaks solely of God's parental chas- 
tisement of his peculiar people. Verse 4. Indeed, 
it would be well to read the whole Psalm. 

REASON XXXVI. 

The Author asserts, that " endless sufferings are 
incompatible with the mercy of God." But how 
does he prove his assertion ? By applying to the 
world, what inspired men apply only to the church 
and to christians* Ps. ciii. 8, 9. " The Lord is 
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteoas 
in mercy. He will not always chide ; neither wili 
he keep his anger forever." Jer. iii. 1£. " 1* or I am 
merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger 
forever." Lam. iii. 31. " For the Lord will not cast 
off forever." 

God " will not always chide" the righteous, for 
their infirmities and imperfections, which sometimes 
bring upon them his chastising rod ; 66 nor will he 
keep his anger forever," against them ; nor " cast'' 
them off forever" This, instead of proving that 
" endless sufferings are incompatible with the mer- 
cy of God" to all men, only proves that sueh pun- 
ishment is incompatible with his mercy to his cove- 
4* 



48 



nant-keeping people. But the inference from this is- 
obvious, viz. that God will cast off forever the un- 
righteous, and will forever keep his anger against 
them, and will punish them always, even with " end- 
less sufferings." 

It is high time for many to learn, that all mankind 
are not members of the church, nor are they truly 
pious. Mr. D's application of promises is, howev- 
er, no " new thing under the sun." There were of 
old Some who called themselves 4 priests' of the 
Most High, who " put no difference between the holy 
and profane" Ezek. xxii. £6. 

The ungodly have " no part nor lot" in the prom- 
ises of God to the righteous. His promises are of 
the nature of an ?m-negociable note. Such a note is 
valid only to the person to whom it is given, and by 
whom it is received. Such a note written, and of- 
fered as a gift, is aot binding, until accepted. The 
final rejector of it, never has any claims upon him 
by whom it was offered. In like manner, none, but 
those who actually receive the promises of God by 
a living faith, have any claim to their fulfilment. 

REASON XL. 

God " hath solemnly promised their return to hap- 
piness," even " Sodom, the cities of the plain and 
Jerusalem." Ezek. xvi 58. "When I shall bring 
again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her 
daughters, the captivity of Samaria and her dauglr- 



48 



ters, then will I bring again the captivity o f thy cap- 
tives, in the midst of them." 

Whatever may be the exact import of this passage, 
several remarks are obvious. 

1. The words So#om, Gomorrah, he. are often 
used figuratively, in the Scriptures, and denote not 
those whom God destroyed by fire from heaven, but 
persons like them in wickedness. Thus the kings of 
Judah are called " rulers of Sodom" and their sub- 
jects " people of Gomorrah." Isa. i. 9. See also 
Isa. iii. 9. Jer. xiii. 14. Rev. xi.8. 

In the figurative use ot the word Sodom, its ' re- 
turning from captivity denotes the conversion of 
idolators.'— Lowth . 

£. Thus understood, the passage under consider- 
ation is explained by facts. Many of the Persians 
did renounce their idolatry, and embrace the relig- 
ion of the Jews, before the return of the latter from 
captivity. " Many of the people of the land," of Per- 
sia, " became Jews :" Esth. viii. 17. Josephus. 

3. It is very plain, from the passage itself, that the 
Prophet does not speak of the restoration of the an- 
cient inhabitants of the literal Sodom, which God 
destroyed by a storm of fire and brimstone from hea- 
ven. For the restoration of the Jews, of which the 
Prophet speaks, was their deliverance from their 
bondage to the Babylonians ; and that deliverance 
the Jews were to receive, according to the passage, 
M in the midst of them ;" that js, " in the midst of 



44 



Sodom and her daughters, and Samaria and her 
daughters." But the Jews were not delivered from 
the Babylonish captivity, in the midst of, or in con- 
nexion with, the Sodomites that perished in the days 
of Abraham. Hence, all attempts to prove, from the 
passage, the restoration of those Sodomites from 
the abodes of woe, are demonstrably vain. 

4. As it is thus evident, that the Prophet says 
nothing about the deliverance of the literal Sodom 
from " the vengeance of eternal fire," it follows, that 
he says nothing about svch a deliverance of Sama- 
ria, Jerusalem, or any of the human race. 

REASON LXVI LXVIII. 

These reasons speak of the restoration of Moab 
and Elam. The Author says, " The threatening of 
God, 5 Moab shall be destroyed from being a peo- 
ple/ has long since been completely fulfilled ; yet he 
has promised, " Yet will I bring again the captivity 
of Moab in the latter days :" Jer. xlviii. 42, 47. He 
mentions the " similar declaration of the destruc- 
tion of Elam," and " its final restoration," chap, 
xlix. 37, 39. From hence, he concludes, that the 
Moabites and Eianiites " are to be restored to hap- 
piness in a future state, unless those express prom- 
ises of God fail of being accomplished ;" and also, 
" all which have been or shall be destroyed by the 
judgments of God :" Deut. xxxii. 39. 

A little knowledge of history would have saved 
Mr. D. the trouble of stating such an argument, as 
this. 



45 



Both the threatenings and the promises respecting 
Moab and Elam have long since been literally ful- 
filled, by their civil captivity, and deliverance from it. 

JWoab was made captive by Nebuchadnezzar, soon 
after the Jews ; but they were afterwards restored to 
their country ; and were " a great nation," after the 
destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. 

Brown, Lowth, Josephus. 

Elam, sometimes called Elymais, was a province 
of Persia, in which was the city Shush an : Dan. viii. 
2. The word sometimes denotes, according to Dr. 
Jahn, the whole of Persia. The Elamites, like 
the Moabites, were made captive by Nebuchadnez- 
zar, but afterwards gained their freedom, and were 
among the instruments employed by divine Provi- 
dence, in the deliverance of the Jews from the Ba- 
bylonish captivity. — Josephus ; Scott on Isa. xxi. 2, 
and Jer. xlix. 34. Calmtt. 

What now becomes of the Author's argument, 
that the Moabites and Elamites "are to be restored 
to happiness in a future state? 

It should be further observed, that Mr. D. is 
grossly incorrect in his assertion that " the nations 
of Moab, Elam, and others that might be mention- 
ed," (but which he does not mention,) cc have long 
since been entirely cut off from the earth. Elam, 
Persia, is not cut off to the present day. It was 
reduced to captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, accord- 
ing to the Divine threatening by the prophet ; and 



46 



according to the Divine promise, was restored to 
her rank as a nation, and remains so at this day. 
And the Moabites still live on the earth, though 
their national name is lost ; having been incorpora- 
ted with the Arabians, and other nations. Scott on 
Zeph. ii : 9. Brown's Diet. Bib. 

What now becomes of the Author's argument, 
even if we admit, that the premises be quotes, are 
promises of spiritual and saving blessings ? for, in 
order to find Elamites and Moabites to receive those 
blessings, we have no occasion to leave the earth, 
and search the regions of darkness and woe. 

I know not to what other nations the writer al- 
ludes, but without naming them. But it is cer- 
tain, that the Jlmmonites, and some other ancient 
nations, who no longer retain their national name, 
are incorporated with the Arabians.— Calmet. Of 
course, they are not, in respect to any thing but 
their name, ec entirely cut of! from the earth." 

As to Deut. xxxn : 39, let the reader attend to 
the verses in connection with it. 

REASON LXIX. 
The writer refers to the following passages, to 
show that the effect of the judgments of Gcd is, to 
bring the wicked to a saving knowledge of him : 
Ezek. vi : 14. vn : 27. xi : 10, 12. xn : 15, 
16, 20. xiii : 9, 14, 21,23. xiv : 8, &c. &c In- 
stead of mentioning chapters and verses, I will 



47 



now merely refer to the chapters mentioned by Mr, 
D. and also to all the chapters of Ezekiel, in which 
are found parallel passages : 15, 16, 20, 22 — 26, 
29, 30, 32— 34— 23, 35—39. 

In all these passages we have the phrase, thou 
shalt,or ye, or they, shall know that I am the Lord. 
This declaration, on which the author founds his 
reason for restoration, occurs in the chapters refer- 
red to sixty-six times. The following remarks will 
show how much universalism the declaration con- 
tains. 

1. The declaration is made in no instance, in 
application to all the world. It is addressed, some- 
times to the Jews, sometimes to individuals, and 
sometimes to Babylon, and other nations specified, 
but not to every individual nation. Whatever, 
therefore, the declaration means, it teaches noth- 
ing respecting the salvation of all men, without 
exceptions. 

2. What the prophet says of the salutary effect 
of divine judgments, is said, not of all men, nor of 
all the Jews, but of " a remnant." Chap, vi : 8. 
Multitudes should perish, and the remainder should 
know that Jehovah is the true God. V. 11 — 14. 
Gh. xx : 38. The word remnant, or some other 
word of similar import, frequently occurs. Ch. 
xi : 13, 21. xiv : 29. vn : 16. xx : 13, 14. 

3. The judgments more especially intended in 
those passages, are judgments upon men, while in 



48 



this world ; and the effect, " ye shall know that 1 
am the Lord, 55 was to take place, while they were 
in this world: as is evident from almost every chap- 
ter referred to. But it is a fact, established by 
both sacred and uninspired history, that many of 
the Jews did not break off their sins under the ca- 
lamities they suffered, but grew more hard and 
more vile, until the vengeance of Jehovah swept 
them from the earth with the besom of destruc- 
tion. 

4. If some of those passages speak of the restor- 
ation of the Jews, it is certain that the restoration 
intended, is to take place in the present world. Of 
course, it does not at all affect the state of those, 
who shall previously have died in their sins. Prov- 
ing that the Jews, who shall be alive on the earth 
at some future period, will be converted to the 
Lord, is pioving just nothing in favor of those who 
depart this life, before that period arrive. 

It is no objection to this statement, that it is said, 
:i ye shall know," &c. The Jews are often ad- 
dressed asanation, beginning with Abraham, and 
living as long as any of his descendant* continue 
on the earth. Besides, the " ye" are several times 
distinguished from those that perish. Chap, xx : 
38. xiv ; 22. 

5. Several of the passages evidently predict on- 
ly the removal of speculative error. In this sense, 
fhe Jews have sc known the Lord" as the true God 



49 



in distinction from all Pagan, gods, ever since the 
Babylonish captivity ; they have long since been 
cured of idolatry. Eveiy one acquainted with 
their history, knows, that they often suffered every 
thing but death, and some of them this too ; rath- 
er than submit to idolatry, when their enemies 
were determined to impose it upon them. As to 
the doom of those who " know the Lord" only 
'speculatively,, see Luke xn : 47. 

Let every person examine critically all the pas- 
sages in the book of Ezekiel, in which occurs the 
words, " ye," or "they shall know that I am the 
Lord and he will find that the knowledge often 
intended, is only such as the most hardened rebels 
against God may possess forever, without any 
change of character ; and that, however many in- 
stances occur, in which experimental knowledge 
is intended, they teach nothing respecting all men. 

REASON XCV— CI1I. 
These reasons for Universal restoration, are foun- 
ded upon Romans xi i 11, 12, 15, 21, 23—27, 29„ 
32, 33, 36. 

I shall not now stop to quote those verses ; the 
whole chapter ought to be read, attentively, by 
every one, to whom it is not familiar. Nor, after 
what has been said under the preceding reasons, 
can many words be here necessary. 

It is obvious, the Apostle here speaks of the 



50 



Jews as a nation ; of course nothing can be argu- 
ed from his words respecting the state of individ- 
uals. The Jews as a nation, were delivered from 
the Babylonish captivity ; but many individuals 
died before the time, and therefore were not re- 
stored to their land. 

The xipostle admits, that the Jews of his day 
had been cast away, except " a remnant accord- 
ing to the election of grace." V. 5. "Because of 
their unbelief they were broken off" from the 
church, called the "good olive tree." V, 20, 24. — 
Hence the receiving of the Jeivs, must denote, 
their restoration to a standing in the visible church* 
an event, tvhich can take place only in this world. 
Of course, this restoration is exclusive of all who 
die in their sins. It is a restoration of believers in 
Jesus of Nazareth, as the true Messiah. V. 23. 

It is true, "all Israel shall be saved." But what 
does this prove respecting the salvation of such as 
live and die, blaspheming the only name under 
he? T en by which any one can be saved? Why, 
nothing. For the Apostle expressly declares, 
"They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.'? — 
Rom. ix : 6. And here is conclusive evidence, 
that God has not promised, that all the literal de- 
scendants of Abraham shall inherit eternal life. In 
order, therefore, to show to the whole intelligent 
universe, that his " gifts and calling are without re- 
pentance, "or are without any change in his purpos- 



51 



es or promises, God is under no necessity of saving 
all the Jews, without exception. The Apostle of- 
ten distinguishes between the true or spiritual Is- 
rael, and Israel after the flesh. Rom. xi: 7. ix: 
27, 20. 

REASON CVIII. 
Mr. D. believes in universal restoration, as he 
says, "Because the language applied to happiness 
is much stronger than that which is applied to mis- 
ery." — By a moment's attention to the passages he 
cites, we can ascertain whether his assertion is 
true. 

Jsa. xxv: 17. "Ye shall not he confounded 
world without end."-— This language^ in the origi- 
nal Hebrew, is no stronger than Dan. xi.i : 2, 
which speaks of the "everlasting contempt" of the 
wicked; for the Hebrew word, denoting the dura- 
tion of their contempt, is the same, as in the phrase 
rendered "world without end." "World without 
end," therefore, is everlasting. How often this 
word is applied to punishment, we need not stop 
to state. 

1 Pet. i: 4. — "An inheritance incorruptible, 
that fadeih not away." — Incorruptible, is no strong- 
er than fade th not away. And fadeth not ayjay, is 
no stronger than dieth not, and is not quenched, 
which is spoken of the punishment of the wicked. 
Mark ix : 44, 46, 48. Nor is the Greek any 
stronger in Peter, than in Mark. 



3ft 



Heb. xu : 28. — "A -kingdom, which cannot be 
moved."— This is no stronger than the language 
used respect ng the regions of woe; its "fire never 
shad be quenched. 55 Markix: 43,45. 

Luke xx : 35, 36. — "They who are accounted 
worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection 
from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in mar- 
riage; neither can they die any more," &c. 

Whether we look at the English or Greek Tes- 
tament, this is no stronger language respecting 
the duration of happiness, than we have just quo- 
led from Mark ix, respecting the duration of mis- 
ery. The righteous die no more, and the worm of 
the xoiohcd dicih nut, nur is their fi i t quenched. 

2 Cor. iv : 17. — "Afar more exceeding and eter- 
nal weight of glory." "Here .is a glory far ex- 
ceeding eternal," says Mr. D. But where did he 
learn his grammar? A school boy, of common 
honesty and sensibility, would be ashamed of such 
an assertion. The meaning of the Apostle is too 
plain to be easily mistaken. He speaks of afflic- 
tions, as working out for believers a/ar more ex- 
ceeding weight of glory, than would otherwise have 
been their portion. And this weight of glory, 
however great, is eternal. 

If it be said, that the word and, between weight 
and eternal is added by the translators, I reply, 
leave it out, a n the sense of the passage is not af- 
fected in the least. Should any one appeal to the 



53 



Greek, it will at once confound Mr. D 5 s comment, 
He will there find the Apostle teaching, just what 
the common translation expresses, that the chris- 
tian's eternal weight of glory is unutterably or un- 
speakably great. He will see, that far more ex- 
ceeding, does not designate the duration of 
future happiness, but merely, its magnitude ! And 
he will find, that its duration is expressed by the 
word eternal, merely. Hence its duration is ex- 
pressed by no stronger words, than the duration of 
future misery. Mark in : 29. The same word is 
used, Mat. xxv: 46, where happiness and misery 
are both mentioned, as of equal duration; though 
it is there rendered everlasting. But in the Greek, 
there is but one yjord for everlasting and eternal. 
And this remark is true, generally, if not univer- 
sally, in application to the numerous passages in 
the New Testament, in which the word everlast- 
ing occurs. This fact it may be well for the mere 
English reader of the Bible to remember. 

Heb. vn : 16.—" The power of an endless life." 
As these words were spoken by the Apostle only 
in application to Christ, they teach us nothing re- 
specting the duration of future happiness. But 
had they been spoken for the very purpose of de- 
signating the duration of happiness, it would have 
been easy to show, that the language is no strong- 
er than is often used respecting future misery. — 
The word endless, is used only in one other pas- 
5* 



54 

sage in the Bible; in which we read of "endless 
genealogies." 1 Tim. i: 4. Hence the word 
endless, does not always mean absolutely intermin- 
able. Either in the Bible, or in human composi- 
tion, or common conversation, it is no stronger a 
word for expressing infinite duration, then ever- 
lasting, eternal, forever, and forever and ever. 



SECTION V. 

Containing the remainder of the Reasons : viz : 
37—39, 41— 65, 70— 94, 104—107, 110—120. 

The reasons for Universalism now to be consid- 
ered, are of the same general nature, as those at- 
tended to in the preceding sections ; only, per- 
haps, much weaker. Hence the whole one hundred 
and twenty reasons have been already answered.—- 
In what follows, therefore, we shall aim at little 
more than a brief explanation of the passages of 
scripture, pressed into the service of a doctrine in 
favor of which they have no bearing. 

REASON XXXVII. 

Heb. x : 1. " The law having a shadow of good 
things to come," &c. — Gal. m: 24. cc Wherefore 
the law was our school master to bring us unto 
Christ that we might be justified by faith." 

It is true, the " law with its types and ofFeriags 
had allusion to Christ and his gospel." But, be- 
cause the law had been to Paul and to other be- 



55 



Me vers a successful school-master, it does by no 
means follow that it is so to all mankind. A school 
master often fails of accomplishing his design with 
not a few of his pupils. And whatever be the ten- 
dency of the law, it is a matter of fact, that thou- 
sands of the ancient Jews were not led by it to 
the saviour and were not justified by faith in him. 

The most obstinate unbelief reigned almost uni- 
versally among them, in the time of Christ and 
his apostles ; and this has continued down to the 
present day. This Mr. D. virtually acknowledg- 
es, and, therefore, assigns reasons for believing in 
their deliverance from future punishment. These 
reasons have been considered in the preceding 
section, and shown to be empty and delusive. As, 
therefore, the figment of a purgatory, or of tempo- 
rary purifying punishment, has not been establish- 
ed, it follows, that, though the law be a school- 
master, and a good one too, se me are never led by 
it, either in this or the future world, to submit to 
Christ for justification and eternal life. 

Luke ii : 10. " Behold, I bring you glad tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people." On 
the word all, see Introduction. The import of the 
verse, however, is, that the blessing of Abraham, in- 
stead of being confined to the Jewish nation, as 
under the Mosaic dispensation, should come on 
the Gentile nations. It began to be fulfilled, when 
the rejection of the gospel by the Jews became the 



56 



occasion of its being published to the Gentiles.-* 
And it will have a very glorious accomplishment 
in the time of the Millennium. Reas, 41. 

It is truly astonishing, to hear men of common 
sense argue on the principle, that the gospel can- 
not be good tidings to any except those who receive 
it. Are not the tidings of an infallible remedy 
for a disease, with which we may be afflicted, good 
tidings, whether we regard them or not. And are 
not the tidings just as good, if we neglect them, 
and die. through our neglect, as if we obtain the 
remedy, and thereby secure a restoration to health? 

Blindness itself cannot but see, and dullness 
itself cannot but understand, that neitherthe tidings 
nor the remedy are the less good, because neglect- 
ed. 

In no case do the blessings of Heaven cease to 
be blessings, in themselves considered, by being per- 
verted, abused, or rejected to our ruin. When 
converted into curses by human wickedness, they 
are still in themselves considered, as really and as 
fully, blessings, as ever. " The spirits in the pris- 
on" of woe, are under eternal moral obligation to 
feel and gratefully acknowledge, that the gospel is 
" glad tidings" ; -and this too, though they contin- 
ually weep and wail and gnash their teeth, and 
forever fail of that deliverance from punishment, 
which Restorationists attempt, vainly enough, to 



prove they will receive in some unknown period 
©f their future existence. 

REASON XXXVIII. 

Deut. 32: 43. " Rejoice, O ye nations, with 
his people."— There can be no harm done to the 
cause of truth, by reading the remainder of the 
same verse. " For he will avenge the blood of 
his servants, and will render vengeance to his ad- 
versaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and 
to hrs people." Another verse may serve to show 
how much Universalism Moses taught, in this 
chapter, v. 35. " To me belongeth vengeance 
recoif'jptnse ; their foot shall slide in due time ; for 
the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things 
that shall come upon them make haste" Read also 
v. 22—25, 37—42. 

The verse, of which the Author quotes a part, 
appears to be a call of God to the heathen, to unite 
and rejoice with his people Israel, on pain of being 
destroyed. Whether they obeyed or disobeyed, 
any one may easily learn from his Bible. 

REASON XXXIX. 
Ex. 34: 6, 7. " The Lord God passed by be- 
fore him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord 
God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abun- 
dant in goodness, and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression. 



58 



and sin,and that will by no means clear the guilty;" 
(the remainder of the sentence, not being to Mr. 
D's. purpose, he does not quote, and indeed ought 
to have stopt a little sooner than he does, to make 
out his system:) cc visiting the iniquity of the fath- 
ers upon the children, and upon the children's 
children, unto the third and to the fourth genera- 
tion." 

But has it come this? Because God is cc merci- 
ful and gracious," does it follow that* he is not 
" angry with the wicked every day?" Because 
he is " long suffering," does it follow that he will 
bear with sinners eternally, and never i£ take ven- 
geance?" Because he is ££ abundant in goodness," 
does it follow that he has no justice in the execu- 
tion of which he w ll " turn the wicked into hell, 
and all the nations that forget God? Because he 
is cc abundant in truth," does it follow that he will 
disregard truth, break his word, and save them that 
" believe not," and cc love not our Lord Jesus 
Christ?" Because he Cf will by no means clear the 
guilty," does it follow that the guilty shali Ci go 
unpunished," and be saved? 

How is it possible for any man to believe in such 
an argument for universal salvation, unless in him 
is fulfilled the awful declaration : " For this cause 
God shall send them strong delusion, that they 
s/wuld believe a lie, that they all might be damned 



59 



who believed not the truth, but have pleasure in 
unrighteousness. 55 2d Thess. 2: 11, 12. 

God does indeed " keep mercy for thousands,' 3 
i. e. " of generations, 55 " of them that love him, 
and keep his commandments. 55 Ex. 20: 5, 6. He 
u forgives the iniquity, transgression, and sin 55 of 
all who so believe in Christ, as to obey the laws of 
his kingdom. But he also " visits the iniquity of 
the fathers upon the children, and upon the chil- 
dren^ children, unto the third and to the fourth 
generation that is, " of them that hate Mm." — 
Ex. 20: 5. 

If, to evade these remarks, it be said that Mr. 
D. like many of his sect, at the present day, prob- 
ably believes that God never " clears the guilty, 55 
even upon their faith and repentance, but that all 
suffer as much as their sins deserve ; I reply then 
he contradicts another part of the passage under 
consideration ; viz. "forgiving iniquity, trans- 
gression, and sin. 55 For it is a dictate of common 
sense, that those who suffer as much as their sins 
deserve, are not forgiven. If any are thus saved, 
their salvation must be without grace, and by mert 
justice. 

And here let me ask, is it not time for many 
Universalist ministers to leave off preaching " sal- 
vation by grace? 55 when in fact, they contradict 
every principle of grace, and exhibit nothing but 
deism in disguise. All their efforts, in which they 



60 

are not wanting, to show that a man may be pusi^ 
ished all his sins deserve, and yet be forgiven, are 
a too flagrant outrage of common sense, ever to be 
believed by any one, who is not wil ing to admit 
Universalism, not only ivithout, but against evi- 
dence. 

Another question is obvious: Is it not time for 
the public to be delivered from the deception of 
those preachers, who are ever discoursing upon 
grace in salvation, and yet are continually setting^ 
aside every principle of grace ? 

REASON XLI. 
Ps, 2: 8. " Ask of me, and I shall give thee 
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for thy possession. 55 — Christ* 
began to have the heathen for his inheritance, 
when the gospel was first published to the Gentiles; 
and he will have the uttermost parts of the earth 
for his possession, in the time of the Millennium.—* 
Rea. 9. 

REASONS XLII, XLIII. 
John 3: 35. "The father loveth the son, and 
hath given all things into his hand. 55 By all things 
is here intended the whole c eaiion, animate and : 
inanimate, rational and irrational. Col. 1: 16,17. 
But who believes in a salvation so universal, as to 
include all inanimate and all irrational existen- 
ces ? 



61 



Mat, tl: 27. "All things are delivered unte 
me of my Father " Another lext in proof of Uni- 
versalism, which proves just as much as the former, 
ani no more, even just nothing. 

John 6: 37. " All that the Father giveth me, 
shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me, I 
will in no wise cast out " It has never been proved 
that all do come to Christ, either in this world or 
that which is to come. For all that appears from 
Mr D's arguments, Sec. 4. those who " perish in 
their iniquity," perish forever. 

All mankind are not given to Christ in the cov- 
enant of redemption v. 39. " This is the Fath- 
er's will which hath sent me, that of all which he 
hath given me, I should lose nothing." But " the 
son of perdition,', Judas, was "lost." John 17: 
12 Of course. Judas was not included in the 
number, given to Christ by the special grant of the 
Father. 6: 40 This is the Father's will that 
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and 
believeth on him, may have everlasting life. Of 
course, it is equally the Father's will tha^ every 
unbeliever shall not have everlasting life. Such 
characters are mentioned, v 36, 64. 70. 

Christ is Head over all things, whether inanimate, 
irrational, or intelligent, and rules and governs 
them for the good of his Church. Eph. 1 : 22. 



62 



REASON XLIY. 
Ps. 22: 27. " All the ends of the earth shall 
remember, and turn unto the Lord ; and all the 
kindreds of the nations shall worship before him." 
This will be fulfilled in the Millennium. Rea. 41. 

REASON XLV. 

Ps. 45: 3-6. " Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, 
O most mighty; with thy glory and thy majesty. 
And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of 
truth, and meekness and rightousness ; and let 
thy right hand teach thee terrible things* Thine 
arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's ene- 
mies ; whereby the people fall under thee." 

What are the " terrible things," done by the right 
hand of Christ? He rides prosperously, not only 
when he brings sinners to bow to the sceptre of his 
grace, but likewise when he destroys the incorrigibly 
wicked. And the Psalmist speaks of the latter event, 
as well as the former. Christ's " right hand, expert 
in warfare, readily executes his purpose, whether of 
mercy or vengeance.''' Scott, 

REASON XLVI. 
Ps. lxiv. 9 : " All men shall fear, and shall de- 
clare the work of the Lord : for they shall wisely 
consider his doing." — Read V. 7, 8, and learn that 
the judgments of God on some, serve to lead other 
to repentance. At length, the wicked being cut off 
£11 then on the earth, will be pious. Rea. 9. 



63 



REASON XLVII. 

l*s. Ixv. " Unto thee (God) shall all flesh 
come ;"— in the Millennium, Rta. 9, 41. 

REASON XLVIII. 

Ps. Ixvi. 3 : " Through the greatness of thy pow- 
er shall thine enemies submit themselves unto 
thee." The original word, rendered submit, literal- 
ly means to lit. The meaning is, they shall submit, 
feignedly. — Pres. Edwards.— Htbrtiv Bible. 

Ver. 4 : " All the earth shall worship thee, and 
shall sing unto thee : they shall sing to thy name." 
Read the paragraph V. 1 — 7, and then say how much 
Universalism it contains. 

REASON XLIV. 
Ps. 138 : 4, 5. " All the kings of the earth shall 
praise thee, O Lord, when they shall hear the words 
of thy mouth ; yea, they shall sing in the ways of the 
Lord, &,c. See on the Miltennium, Reas. 7, 41. 

REASON L. 
Ps. 150: 6. "Let every thing that hath breath, 
praise the Lord."— To make this verse prove his 
doctrine, Mr. D. renders it, " Every thing that hath 
breath, shall praise the Lord." But does this make 
it prove any thing in his favor ? "Every thing that 



04 



h ath breath," is a phrase which includes birds and 
beasts and irrational creatures. It is true there is a 
sense, in winch all these creatures praise God, and 
will continue to praise him, as long as they exist ; 
for all his works praise him. Ps. 145 : 10. But are 
all creatures to receive an " abundant entrance" in- 
to heaven ? 

Or if we consider the verse as speaking only of 
mankind, it will then be far from supporting Univer- 
saiism. There is a sense, in which the worst of 
men praise God ; he causes even the wrath of man 
to praise him. Ps. 76 : 10. But it is one thing to 
praise God intentionally, and quite another thing, 
to do it merely " like the beasts that perish." 

REASONS LI. LII. 

Isa. 25 : 6. And in this mountain shall the Lord 
of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things," 
&c. True. But, v. 10, " Moab shall be trodden 
down as straw for the dunghill." 

Of what benefit are the provisions of the Gospel, 
cfventuully to those by whom they are rejected ? — 
John 3: 36. Luke 19: 27. 

V. 7. If the argument from this verse is not al- 
ready sufficiently answered, See on the Millennium, 
Reas. 9, 15, 41. 

REASON LIU. 

" Those who have tasted the goodness of God, v 
shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more."-- 



65 

Rev, 7: 16, Agreed. But what will become of 
those who do not lastethe goodness of God ? Luke 
14: £4. 

REASON LIV. 
Isa. 40: 5. " The glory of the Lord shall be re- 
vealed, and all flesh shall see it together."— Rca> 
41. 

REASON LY. 

Isa. 45 : ££. " Look unto me and be ye saved, ail 
the ends of the earth ; for I am God, and there is 
none elsel" 

In every age, many have refused to obey this com- 
mand. We can never prove any thing respecting 
the number to be saved, from the commands of the 
Gospel. We might as well argue that Adam never 
fell, because God commanded, " Of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat and 
that there never has been a particle of sin in the 
world, because God's law has ever required of all 
men perfect holiness. 

V. £3, £4. "I have sworn by myself, the word has 
gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not 
return, That unto me every knee shall bow, & every 
tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the 
Lord have I righteousness and strength ; even to him 
shall men come ; and all that are incensed against 
him shall be ashamed." 

6* 



66 



All will at last acknowledge the right ot Christ to 
be their Sovereign and Judge, and will bow to hira 
either as obedient subjects, subdued by grace, or as 
incorrigible enemies, destroyed by the sword of his 
justice. The passage keeps in view two totally dif- 
ferent characters : those who glory in the Savior, and 
those who are incensed against him. It is only the 
former, who shall say " In the Lord have I righteous- 
ness and strength 

REASON LVL 

Rom. 14 : 10 — 12. " But why dost thou judge thy 
brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? 
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of 
Christ; for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, 
every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall 
confess to God. So then every one of us shall give 
account of himself to God." 

True. " God shall bring every work into judg- 
ment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 
whether it be evil." Eccl. 12 : 14. " We must all 
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every 
one may receive the things done in his body, accor- 
ding to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 
2 Cor. 5 : 10. The time of standing before the judg- 
ment seat of Christ, will be a day of " the terror of 
the Lord" to all who shall not have previously, sub- 
mitted, cordially, to Christ. " Knowing, therefore, 
the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." V. 11. 
The judgment seat of Christ will pierce with heart- 



67 



distracting terror, all the incorrigibly wicked. A 
view of that terror was considered by the Apostle, as 
a most powerful and affecting motive, by which to per- 
suade sinners to submit to the terms of Gospel grace. 
By the "terror of the Lord" Jesus, when he shall sit 
on the throne of " eternal judgment," he urged sin- 
ners to bow to Christ in humble and cordial sub- 
mission to his commands, on pain of being* made to 
bow at last, as vanquished, but relentless enemies, un- 
der the sword of his justice. — Rea. 55. 

REASON LVII. 
Phil. ii. 9 — 11.— ^ee Reasons 55 and 56. 

REASON LVIII. 
Isa. xlv. 24; — See Reason 55. 

REASON LIX. 
Isa. liii. 6, 11. "The Lord hath laid on him the 
iniquity of us all. By his knowledge shaH my righ- 
teous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their 
iniquities." 

The context is in irreconcilable opposition, to the 
doctrine of Universal Salvation. Ver. 10 : " He 
shall see his seed." This implies, that some are pe- 
culiarly his. If we leave out the word his, because 
added by the translators, the sense will still be the 
same ; seed must be a seed, which are peculiarly his. 
With, or without the word his, the passage conveys 



68 



irresistibly, the idea of a " portion/ 5 divided to him 
cut of the great family of man. And this is express- 
ly stated in ver. 12 : 6 Therefore will I divide him a 
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil 
with the strong.' It is in vain to object/ that the 
word portion, is not in the original, but is supplied 
by the translators ; for the word divide, is there, and 
establishes at once, and forever, the import of the 
passage. A division is a part ; and whether called 
a portion, or by any other proper term, it is not the 
whole. 

RE ASONS LX— LXIII. 

Bom. v. 18— £0 : " Therefore, as by the offence 
of one, judgment came upon all men to condemna- 
tion ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free 
gift came upon all men unto justification of life For 
as by one man's disobedience, many were made sin- 
ners, so by the righteousness of one shall many be 
made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the 
offence might abound ; but where sin abounded, 
grace did much more abound ; that as sin hath reign- 
ed unto death, even so might grace reign through 
righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our 
Lord." 

It is evident from other parts of the chapter, that 
the Apostle addresses himself, not to all men, but 
only to christians, who could unite with him in say- 
ing, We have peace with God ; we have access by 



faith into this grace, wherein we stand ; we glory m 
tribulations aiso ; the love of God is shed abroad in 
our hearts; we also joy in God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atone- 
ment ; being now justified by his blood ; being re- 
conciled to God by the death of his Son. 

The Apostle also informs us, V. 17, who " shall 
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ ;" viz. not all the 
lace of man, but " they which receive abundance of 
grace, and of the gift of righteousness;" that is, be- 
lievers. For it is by faith, that the saving blessings 
of the gospel are received. And none who are not 
belivers, do receive these blessings. Believers, 
therefore, and they only, shall reign in life by Jesus 
Christ, Hence it follows, that the " all men, upon 
■whom the free gift came unto justification of life," 
are only the true church of God, in distinction from 
all unbelievers. 

There is nothing in the chapter, which can be 
made to say, that Adam and Christ represented an 
equal number of the human race. " All men being 
justified by the righteousness of one, means, all who 
are justified, at all or ever, obtain it in this way," 
i. e. by faith in Christ. — Dr. Watts. Christ repre- 
sents only 4 the portion divided 10 him.' — Rea. 59. 

The Apostle does not teach, therefore, that "jus- 
tification in Christ shall be equal," as to extent or 
number, "to condemnation in Adam he states no 



70 



such parallel, but intimates, plainly too, a different 
doctrine. 

Nor by saying. " Where sin abounded, grace did 
much more abound," does the Apostle have even the 
appearance of teaching, that " the reign of grace 
shall surpass the reign of sin," in respect of number. 
This, as Christ "took not on him the nature of an- 
gels," (Heb. 2: 16) was a natural impossibility. The 
reign of grace surpasses the reign of sin, in respect 
only of believers. And the Apostle informs us, v. 16* 
how it does this. By one offence, even that of our 
first parents in partaking of the fruit of the interdicted 
tree, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; 
but to all believers the free gift is of many offence?, 
even all their sins, unto just *i cation. 

REASON LXIV. 
Isa. 63 : 11. " He shall see the travail of his soul, 
and shall be satisfied." — True. And he will be satis- 
fied with whatever is lire will of the Father. Mat. £6.* 
39, 42. 

And whatever may be desirable to his benevolent 
heart, in itself considered, the demands of justice, all 
things considered, will satify him. If it be said that 
these demands require the salvation of all men, be- 
cause "he died lor all," I reply, he suffered no more 
for all, than would have been necessary for the sal- 
vation of a single individual. In a word, Christ will 
be satisfied with the portion which the Father will 
"divide to him. — Rea. 59. 



71 



REASON LXV. 
Isa. lvii. 16: " For I wili not contend forever, 
neither will The always wrath ; for the spirit should 
fail before me, and the souls which I have made;" 
that is, say Universalists, i no soul can sustain end- 
less torments such torments i would annihilate.'— 
So then, the Scripture, Jer. xxxii. 17, which says, 
" there is nothing too hard for the Lord," is not 
true ! God cannot preserve souls to endure endless 
torments ! Is this the piety and reverence of Uni- 
versalism ? 

The passage speaks only of God's fatherly chas- 
tisements of his 66 peculiar people ;" and the mean- 
ing is, he will not contend and be wroth forever 
against them, on account of their imperfections and 
declensions, for then would their courage fail, and 
their souls sink into despair. But however merci- 
fully God deals with the righteous, " there is no 
peace, saith my God, to the wicked," ver. £1. Read 
the whole paragraph, V. 13 — 21. 

REASON LXX. 
Dan. vii. 14, 18, £7. See on the Millennium, Rea. 
41. 

REASON LXXL 

1 Cor. xv. £4 — £6: " Then cometh the end, when 
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even 
the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, 
smd all authority and power. For he must reign till . 



72 



he hath put alf enemies under his feet. The last en - 
emy that shail be destroyed, is death." 

When Christ shall deliver up the* mediatorial 
kingdom to God the Father, he will " have put down 
all rule, and all authority and power," which had been 
in opposition to his cause of trurh and holiness* 

But to " put all enemies undtr his feet " seems 
evidently to be, to tread them down, as straw is trod- 
den down for the dung-hill. Isa. xxv. 10. When 
believers receive a " resurrection unto life," then 
will " the last enemy" of their happiness and glory 
a be destroyed." This is too evidently the import 
of the passage, to require further comment. 

Rev, xxii. 5. " And there shall be no night there ; 
and they need no candle, neither light ,jf the sun ; 
fur the Lord God giveth them light ; and they shall 
Eeign forever and ever." — But who shall reign for- 
eve and ever in heaven ? The " servants" of God. 
V. 5, 4. And will the whole race of man be the ser- 
vants of God ? Without are dogs, and sorcerers, 
and whoremongers," &.e. V. 15. The chapter ex- 
hibits two different characters, and two different 
states. V. 11. 

REASON LXXII. 
The final restoration is the most consistent plan 
of reco> ciling the apparent contradiction between 
the threatenings and the promises of God. "I will 
no more have mercy ujton the house of Israel/' 



M Ye are not my people, and I will not be your 
God." — Yet immediately after he adds, "And it 
shall come to pass in the place where it was said un- 
to them, ye are not my people, there shall it be said 
unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God." Ho- 
*ea i. 6, 9, 10. 

A curious reason indeed! Does not Mr. D. know, 
and everybody else, that an apparent contradiction 
is not a real contradiction ? According, therefore, 
to his own statement, there is in fact no contradic- 
tion here to be reconciled, by either the doctrine of 
Restoration, or any other theological system. 

Read the passage, V. 6 — 11, By the mouth of 
the prophet, God threatens the ruin of " the house 
of Israel," as a kingdom separate from that of Ju- 
dah, or in distinction from that of Judah ; ver. 6, 9. 
Mercy is promised to the house of Judah, in distinc- 
tion from the house of Israel : ver. 7. And yet God 
would fulfil his promises to the fathers, in respect 
to the house of Israel. But how ? The Bible and 
History answer, By many of the Israelites being uni- 
ted with the Jews, and with them partaking of the 
blessings of divine goodness ; ver. 1JL 

REASONS LXXIII— LXXV. 
Hosea v. 15 : "I will go and return to my place^ 
till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face 
— in their affliction, they will seek me early." Ch. 
xiu. 9; " O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself ; 
'7 



74 

but in me is thine help." Chap. xiv. ver. 4 : " I will 
heal their backslid in gs, I will love them freely; for 
mine anger is turned away from them." 

Most evidently, these verses speak, merely, of the 
declensions of God's people, his fatherly correction 
of them, their return to duty, and reception of his 
forgiving love. Backsliden Christians are chastis- 
ed, that they may not " be condemned with the 
world :" 1 Cor. xi. 3£. 

REASON LXXVI. 
Matt. L £1 : " Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for 
he shall save his people from their sins." — But who 
are his people ? Believers, who are not of the world 
—who are his seed, the portion divided \o him. John 
xvii. 16. Reason 59. 

REASON LXXVII. 

But, says the Author, " If Jesus saves his people, 
he will save all; for all are his, i. e. to save. " The 
Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things in- 
to his hands :" John iii. 35. 

As well might he have said, All are his, L e. to des- 
troy; because it is written, The end of all things is 
at hand :" 1 Pet. iv. 7. See, on the all things, John 
iii. 35, Reason 42. 

REASON LXXVIII. 

* All things were made by Christ, and are there- 
fore his by creation. John i. 3, 10. Eph. iii. 9 



75 



Col. i. 16." — The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, 
and every insect and creeping thing, are his by cre- 
ation. But are they to <: be saved in the Lord with 
an everlasting salvation" in heaven ? — Reason 42. 

REASON LXXIX. 
u All are his by preservation, as he upholds all 
things* Heb. i. 1 — 3."— Yes, beasts, birds, &c. are 
his by preservation, as well as every thing else. 
Reason 78. 

REASON LXXX. 

" All are his by purchase, for he gave himself a 
ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Tim. 
ii. 6. 

Christ has purchased, or " bought" many, who 
"bring upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Pet. 
di. 1-3. They have a " sorer punishment," than 
the despiser of the law ; they have, as it were, 
a double damnation; for they perish under the curse 
of both law and gospel. Heb. x. 26—29. A rejected 
ransom will secure the salvation of no one ; " he 
that helieveth not, shall be damned." Mark xvi. 16. 
Besides, the ransom by the expiatory death of Christ, 
was not the literal payment of a debt, but, only, the 
opening of a way in which God can consistently jus- 
tify and save the sinner that helieveth in Jesus. 
Rom. iii. 25, 26. 

But, in a word, with what propriety can a man ar- 
gue in favor of the salvation of any one of our 
race, from the atonement of Christ, when he be- 



76 

lieves that God " will by no means clear the guilty,*' 
however penitent and believing, but will inflict upon 
every sinner as much punishmeut, as his iniquities 
deserve ? For a man of such a creed, to exhibit the 
Atonement of Christ as a ground for believing in 
the salvation of all, or even one, of our race, is 
worse than trifling; it is solemn mockery. Reason 
39. With one breath, he advocates the principles of 
Deism; with the next, he pretends to Christianity. 

REASON LXXXI. 
Isa. xxxv. 10 : " The ransomed of the Lord shall 
return, and come to Zion with songs," &c. — The 
ransomed! hoiv many are they ? The verse does 
not inform us ; on this question, it is silent. " The 
wiclean" however, who " shall not pass over" the 
" highway," established for God's people, are not 
numbered with " the ransomed of the Lord ;" ver. 8. 
w No" such person " hath any inheritance in the 
kingdom of Christ and of God." Eph. v. 5. 

REASON LXXXII. 
Mai. xxviii. 19. " All power is given unto me in 
heaven and in earth."— Rea. 4£. The power of 
Christ, like all his attributes, is the same, Yester- 
day, to-day, and fore ver. ket he has hitherto suf- 
fered much sin and unhappiness to exist in the Uni- 
verse. Therefore, his power proves nothing against 
the endless continuance of sin and unhappiness 
among his creatures. His power will ere long be 
terrible toliis enemies. Ps. ii. 9, 12. Rev. 6. 15-17 



77 



REASON LXXXIII. 

John xvii. 2 : " Thou hast given him power over 
all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many 
as thou hast given him." As many as thou hast giv- 
en him ! This teaches, most plainly, that all are not 
given to Christ, in the sense here intended. V. \% : 
" Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none 
of them is lost, but the son of perdition — Rea. 59. 

REASON LXXXIV. 

Luke ii. 10: "Behold, I bring you good tidings 
of great joy," &cc. — If " tidings" of a way of escape 
from a temporary punishment, in which many Uni- 
versalists believe, be " good tidings" — how exceed- 
ingly good must be the tidings of a way of escape 
from an endless punishment ? Dear Reader, pause 
a moment, and answer this question with serious de- 
liberation. Is it not a dictate of reason, that the great- 
er and the mora durable the punishment to which sin 
exposes us, the better are the tidings respecting a 
way of escape ? If tidings of a way of escape from 
temporary punishment be good tidings ; tidings of a 
way of escape from never ending punishment must 
be good indeed. 

It is still more obvious to remark, that if sin de- 
serves no punishment, more than " the trials and af- 
flictions of this life," the tidings of the gospel 
scarcely deserve the appellation of good. 

In a word, according to any and every form of 



76 



iiiversalism, the gospel tidings are not very good ; 
but, according to the opposite doctrine, they are 
tl good tidings" indeed — infinitely good tidings. 

For more remarks on the passage before us see, 
Ilea. 37. 

REASON LXXXV. 
Heb. ii. 9. Christ's "tasting death for every 
man," does not prove the Salvation of every man. — « 
Rea. 80. 

REASON LXXXVl. 

1 3 ohn ii. 1 : " If any man sin, we have an advo- 
cate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,'* 
&c. — That Christ, in any special sense, advocates 
the cause of all the human race, is no where taught 
in the sacred volume. His prayer on the cross for 
his murderers, was only for those who knew not what 
they did. — Luke xxiii. 34* 

He says, expressly, "I pray not for the 
ivorld, but for them which thou hast given 
me." John xvii. 9 — Those given to Christ, in the 
Sense here intended, are not all the world : they are, 
only, certain persons given him " out of the world" 
— *Y. 6. Nor have we any example of Christ's ever 
praying for any more than his disciples, and those 
who should believe in him through their word. V. £0» 

If it be said, that Christ is the advocate of all, in 



79 



that he is " the propitiation for the sins of the whofe 
world I refer again to Rea. 80. 

REASON LXXXVIL 
John xiL 3£. — Read V. 33; and see Reasons, 9$ 
15, 41. 

REASON LXXXVIII. 
Heb. ii. 8. — See Reasons 4£ and 71. 

REASON LXXXIX. 
1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.— -See Rea. 80. 

REASONS XC, XCI. 
John iv. 4£ : " We know that this is indeed the 
Christ, the Saviour of the world." Chap. i. 9 : 
" The true light that lighteth every man," &c. — Rea, 
15, 31. 

REASON XCII. 
Luke iii. 6 : " All flesh shall see the salvation of 
God."— Rea. 41. he. 

REASONS XCIII, XCIV, 
Rom. viii. £1 : " Because the creature itself also 
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption 
into the glorious liberty of the children of God." 
V. £3 : " Even we ourselves, groan within ourselves, 
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of 
our body\" 



80 

This is a description of the new creature, or new 
creation ; i. e. of the church of God. Not only the 
new creation or the church, generally, but even the 
apostles and others, who had the first fruits of the 
Spirit, groaned within themselves, waiting for the 
completion of their salvation. The whole chapter, 
from the beginning to the end, is a description of the 
character and state of Christians, in distinction from 
the "carnally minded," impenitent, unbelieving 
world. 

Phil. iii. 20, £1 : " For our conversation is in 
heaven,'' &c.-A very different class of persons, from 
these, are mentioned V. 18, 19, who are " the ene- 
mies of the cross of Christ, and whose end is des- 
truction." 

REASON XCV. 

1 Cor. xv. 22 : " As in Adam all die, even so in 
Christ shall all be made alive." — The Apostle here 
speaks only of temporal death and the resurrection. 
Nor is the word all, here used without limitation, in 
respect of temporal death ; for we have proved, in 
the Introduction, that all, without exception, do not 
die; and for the same reason, all, without excep- 
tion, will not be made alive in Christ by a resurrect- 
ion from the dead — V. 51. 1 Thess. iv, 17. 

Believers, though they die in Adam a temporal 
death, shall be made alive in Christ by a glorious 
resurrection unto life. This is what the Apostle as- 



81 



gerted and proved to the Corinthians, at large, in 
opposition to those among them who said, " that 
there is no resurrection of the dead V. 1£. Read 
on through the chapter. 

The resurrection of the wicked will be a " resur- 
rection of damnation," and " to shame and everlast- 
ing contempt." John v. £9. Dan. xii. £. They 
will be raised for " a second death ;" a death, called 
the second, in allusion to first or temporal death of 
the body. Rev. xx. 1£— 15 : xxi. 8. 

REASON CV. 
£ Cor. v. 17 : " If any man be in Christ, he is a 
new creature ; old things are passed away," &c. — It 
remains yet to be proved, that all will ever be in 
Christ, in a saving sense. We have seen, that this 
is not proved by the words of the Apostle, that " in 
Christ shall all be made alive." Rea. 104. He, and 
he only, who is in Christ by faith, is a new creature. 
But all are never made spiritually alive in Christ by 
faith ; of course, some never become new crea- 
tures. There have been sinners, to whom Christ has 
said, " Ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins." 
John viii. £1. In the day of judgment, emphatically 
called " that day," in distinction from every other, 
Christ will say to many, " I never knew you ; depart 
from me, ye that work iniquity." Matt. vii. ££, £3. 
None but those whose faith is a living principle of 
holy action, will then be admitted to a participation 



82 



of the joys and the glories of heaven. V. 21. 24 — 
27. 

REASON CVI. 
Rev. xxi. 5: u And he that sat upon the throne, 
said, Behold, I make all things new," kc— The " all 
things made new," do not include u the fearful^ un- 
believing/' fee. whose end is to be "cast into the 
lake of fire," V. 8. On the phrase, all things, see 
Introduction. 

REASON CVII. 

John xiv. 19. "Because I live, ye shall live also." 
— Reasons 104, 105. It is no more certain, that 
Christ lives, than that his true disciples will live al- 
so ; while those who do not love him, will u be An- 
athema Maranatha- " 1 Cor. 16, ££. 

REASON CX. 
1 Johniv. 14. Luke xix. 10. — Rea. 15. 

REASON CXI. 
Jer. ii. 13: "Mercy rejoiceth against judgment.'' 
—Read the other part of the same verse, which 
says, " He shall have judgment without mercy, that 
shewed no mercy." God will render vengeance, 
ivithoul the least mixture of mercy, to such as show 
no mercy to their poor and destitute fellow men. 
James is enforcing the duty of liberality, V. 14 — 16. 



88 



Header, remember this ! and, while you keep clear 
of the error of those who would make the Apostle 
say what lie never intended, faithfully discharge the 
duty he inculcates. 

REASON CXIL 
Gal. vL 10. Matt. xxii. 39 ; v. 44. — How the 
commands, " Do good to all men ;" " love thy 
neighbor as thyself," &c. can prove Universal Sal- 
vation, no ivise man can see, until he sees evidence, 
that these commands have been, now are, and ever 
will be, universally obeyed. 

REASON CXIII. 
John xvii. 4 : " I have finished the work which 
thou gavest me to do." Have finished ! Are all 
mankind now saved? Is there now no sin and no 
unhappiness among the race of man ? The Father 
never commissioned the Son to give eternal life, 
except to as many as he had given him, in the cov- 
enant of redemption, which were not the whole race 
of man. V. % 9, 20. Rea, 83, 59. 

REASON CXIV. 
1 Tim. ii : 1, 8. Commands and exortations are 
often disobeyed ; and, therefore, prove nothing re- 
specting the number that will be saved. — Rea, 112. 



84 



REASON CXV. 
1 Tim. iv: 10. God is "the Savior of all men,* 
in respect of the fulness of the atonement, but the 
actual Savior of none but believers. Unbelievers, 
haviug trodden under foot the Son of God, and done 
despite to the Spirit of grace, will have a sorer pun- 
isement, than if they had never heard of a Savior. 
Heb. x: 28, 29. Their guilt in rejecting his offer- 
ed grace, is incomparably greater, than all their oth- 
er guilt beside. Jon xv : 22. 

REASON CXVL 

"If all men are not chosen to salvation, it could 
not be their duty to repent and believe, which are the 
means of salvation, and as such are urged upon all 
people." Acts xx : 21. 

This sentence, to speak plainly, is full of impiety 
and atheistic licentiousness. It implies, that man- 
kind are not criminal for any thing, from which God 
has not chosen, by an immutable decree, to have 
them refrain. On this principle* there is no such 
thing as sin or guilt in the universe. For there nev- 
er was a feeling of heart* or act of life, in opposi- 
tion to the purpose of Jehovah. This Mr. D. must 
admit ; to deny it, would annihilate his whole argu- 
ment. For if any thing ever takes place in oppo- 
sition the purpose or choice of God ; the inference 
is unavoidable, that his choice of saving even all 
men, would not insure, the salvation of one individ- 



85 

ual. If his choice can be frustrated in one instance, 
why not in every instance ? 

The obligation of mankind to " repent and be- 
lieve," does not rest at all upon the purpose or 
choice of God to save them. A divine purpose, in 
the abstract, can impose no obligation whatever. If 
mankind are capable of committing sin at all, they 
would have been equally capable of it, had no mer- 
cy ever been prepared for the penitent and believing. 
They are under obligation to be holy, because God 
commands them to be so ; and they are capable of 
committing sin, because they are capable of break- 
ing his command. " Sin is," not the frustration of 
a divine purpose, but " the transgression of the law." 
1 John iii : 4. 

Shall I be told, that the Author speaks of repent- 
ance and faith, as " means of salvation ?" But 
" this does not mend the matter." For it will still 
follow from his principle, that sinners are as inno- 
cent as holy angels in heaven, in continuing impen- 
itent and unbelieving, until the moment arrives in 
which God has purposed to have them repent and 
believe; for if their obligation rests upon his pur- 
pose, it cannot commence at an earlier period. But 
it is not the purpose of God to save them, that pla- 
ces sinners under obligation to repent and believe, 
in any sense whatever. It is their duty to repent 
and believe, as means of salvation, simply, because 
God commands them to accept and improve the pro- 
8 



86 

visions and offers of his grace. Those who do this, 
will be saved; and those who do it not, will perish. 
John iii : 36. 

It is superfluous to remark, that the commands of 
God are no proof of a corresponding purpose ; for 
the reverse of this proposition would imply, that, as 
the divine law has ever required perfect holiness of 
all rational creatures, there never has been a parti- 
cle of sin in the world, or in the universe. Angels 
never fell ! Adam never sinned I all mankind have 
always been perfect in holiness 1 Christ died in 
vain ! and the whole Gospel is a mere farce ! Such 
are the inferences, to which the principles of mod- 
ern Universatism lead us. * O my soul ! come not 
thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine 
honor, be not thou united" 

REASON CXVII. 
Rev.xxi: 4. See Y. 8. — £ Pet. 3 : 13. See 
3-, 7, 16, and read the whole chapter. 

REASON CXVIII. 
1 Cor. xv : 28. God will be " all in all" to the 
redeemed, or truly pious. Rea. 71. 

REASON CXIX. 
Luke xv : 7. Rev. v : 13. — The song of heaven 
will be the "song of MDses," as well as that of die 
Lamb. Rev. xv : S. xiv: 10, 11, Exo. xv : 1-— 
SI. 



87 

REASON CXX. 
Actsiii: 21. "And he shall send Jesus Christ 
which before was preached unto you; whom the 
heavens must receive until the times of the restitu- 
tion of all things, which God hath spoken by the 
mouth of ail his holy prophets since the world be- 
gan." 

This, according to our author, is his "best of ail 
reasons" for believing the doctrine of Universal 
Restoration. Let us, therefore, endeavor to ascer- 
tain the full force of this best reason, 

The restoration of all things ! what things? The 
" all things," spoken of by the prophets, and no 
more. But what do the prophets say ? Read on a 
a little further, in the same chapter. "Moses truly 
said, — It shall come to pass, that every soul which 
will not hear that Prophet" even Christ, u shall be 
destroyed from among the people." V. 22, 23. Deut. 
xviii: 19. Not only Moses, but David, Asaph, Isa- 
iah, and other prophets taught the destruction of the 
wicked. Ps. xxi : 8, 9. ixxiii : 27. Isa. xxxiii : 
14. Jer. iv : 4. Dan. xii : 2. Hence, the " best 
of all reasons," is a reason which has no weight. 

But there is, perhaps, in this argument for Uni- 
versalism a still greater infelicity. Though I have 
in no case, in the preceding pages, proposed a new 
translation of any passage of Scripture, I shall pro- 
pose one of vs. 19— 21 ; put in italics the words, which 



are different from the common version. As the 
verbs which are rendered in the future tense, might, 
to say the least, as well have been rendered in the 
past tense, I would read it as follows : Repent ye, 
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, because the times of refreshing have 
come from the presence of the Lord; and he has 
sent Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto 
you ; whom the heavens must have retained, until 
the times of the restitution of all things which God 
hath spoken, Sec. If this be the correct rendering 
of the passage, " the restoration of all things, 5 ' of 
which Peter spoke, had then taken place. The time* 
of the restoration of all things, were the times of 
John the Baptist. " Elias verily cometh first, and 
restoreth all things ;" that is, John the Baptist re- 
storeth all things. Mark ix : 12. Mat. xvii: 11— 
re? 



SECTION VI. 
Brief Notice of six reasons for renouncing Endless 
Punishment. — »By S. C. 
The writer of these reasons quotes, in part, or in 
full, the scriptures, to which I shall refer the reader. 
As these scriptures, or parallel passages, have been 
already explained, nothing more can be here neces- 
sary, than a reference to the Reasons where they 
may be found. He says — 

1. Endless punishment " is contrary to the oath 
of Jehovah;" Isa. xlv. £4, £5.— See Rea. 55. 
£. "It is contrary to the revealed purpose of God." 
Eph. i. 9, 10.— -Rea. 41, 4£. 

3. " It is contrary to the revealed will of God ;" 
1 Tim. ii. 1—6.— Rea. 80, 114. 

4. " It is contrary to the promise of God ;" Gen. 
xviii. 18. xii. 3.— Rea. £3—31, and Sec. 4. 

5. " It is contrary to the truth of God ;" Col. i. £0. 
Isa. lxv. £4. Dan. ix. £4.— Rea. 55, 57, 71, 31. 

6. "It is contrary to justice."— ^Sec. 1. 

It is true, "Justice always observes a due propor- 
tion between crime and punishment." But it does 
not from hence follow, that U there is no proportion 
between the sins committed in this short an^ frail life, 
and an endless punishment." For what are the sins 
8* 



90 



of mankind, in respect tif their nature and aggrava- 
tion ? Job xxii. 5. "Is not thy wickedness great ? 
and thine iniquities infinite ?" 

Our lives may be " short," and yet our guilt be 
infinite. In order to ascertain what punishment is 
proportionate to the guilt of theft, murder, or arson, 
who ever thought of asking the question, How long 
was the culprit in the act of transgression? Com- 
mon sense would lead any person to view such a 
question as totally irrelevant and absurd. Hence 
the question of long life, or " short life," can deter- 
mine nothing respecting the guilt and the deserts of 
the sinner. 

No one doubts, that punishment may be propor- 
tionate to crime, and yet be of longer duration, than 
the act of transgression. But how much ? In the 
solution of this question, the question of time, as long 
or short, has no place. The mind at once, as natu- 
rally as if by instinct, fixes upon the obligations vio- 
lated, and the mischief done. And to determine 
the obligations violated, and the mischief done, we 
consider against wham the crime is committed ; 
whether a king, a parent, an equa], or an inferior. 
Independent of such considerations, stealing the 
worth of a farthing from a servant, would be as great 
a sin, and deserve as great a punishment, as the mur- 
der of a parent, or the assassination of a king. 

And hefe I would ask any reasonable person, 
whether in estimating the evil of sin against Goa\ 



we are to omit those considerations, by which we 
are invariably guided in our estimate of the punish- 
ment due to a crime of one rnaii against another ? It 
we are, then sin against God is no greater an evil, 
than against man. Will this be pretended ? Does 
any one believe this ? Can any one believe this? 

But, on the other hand, if we are to estimate the 
evil of sin against God, by the rules we employ in 
estimating it among men, how does this evil rise and 
swell beyond all the powers of human computation ? 
It is committed against a Being of infinite perfec- 
tion and infinite glory : What then does the sinner 
deserve ? It tends to mischief of infinite extent in 
the universe of God ; and, but for his power and 
grace, ivould produce universal anarchy, misrule, and 
vjretchedness ; What then does the sinner deserve ? 

The fact, thatr God interposes by his power and 
grace, for the prevention of many of the conse- 
quences of sin, and overrules it for good, causing 
even " the wrath of man to praise him," does not 
diminish the guilt of the transgressor. 

Sinners are just as criminal, as if their sins actu- 
ally produced all the evils to which they tend. Again, 
therefore, I ask, what does the sinner deserve ? 

If the sinner do not deserve infinite punishment, 
what does he deserve ? The crimes of man against 
man, are justly punished by fines, imprisonment, and 
death. How then may sin against God, be justly 
jpunished? "If one man sin against another, the 



92 



judge shall judge him ; but if a man sin against the 
Lord, who shall entreat for him?" Who shall 
plead in the exercise of reason, that he who violates 
his obligation to the God of heaven, does not deserve, 
and may not justly receive, a punishment infinite in 
duration ? Remember, dear reader, by what rules 
you estimate the evil of a crime against an equal, 
a parent, and a chief magistrate of a nation ; then 
consider the greatness, the glory, and the majesty 
of the Infinite Jehovah, until you feel that he is un- 
searchable in all his perfections and attributes ; and> 
after this, as in his presence, say, whether thy sins da 
not justly expose thee to an endless punishment. 
Dare you, in a moment of clear views of the char- 
acter and glory of that Being against whom thou hast 
sinned, enter thy closet, and say, — ' O God, thou 
knowest that I do not deserve endless punishment, 
and that thou canst not justly inflict it upon me t } 
Would not thy reason and conscience fly in thy face, 
and cause thee to tremble, lest divine vengeance 
should at once stop thy breath ? 

CONCLUSION. 
The doctrine, the sophistry and the emptiness of 
which has been exposed in the preceding pages, by 
a glance at wh?it may truly be called the substance 
of ail the evidence exhibited in its support at the 
present day, is a doctrine so congenial to depraved 
nature, that, but for the influence of God ? s word and 



93 

Spirit, and the dictates of enlightened reason, it 
would ere this time, have become universally jwpu- 
lar. On the other hand, the doctrine I .have advo- 
cated, is obviously in most direct opposition to the 
feelings and wishes of fallen man. It says to the 
guilty and wayward transgressor, amid his idolatry 
of fame, wealth, and pleasure, Believe, repent, and 
become holy, on pain of everlasting exclusion from 
the gracious presence of God, and everlasting con- 
finement in the dark abodes of woe. It makes no 
compromise with his sinful desires and irreligious 
practice ; in a voice, loud as thunder, it proclaims in 
his ear, Renunciation, or Death ; take thy choice ; 
and if thou art not wise in thy choice, the conse- 
quences of thy folly thou alone must bear. 

Is the sinner aroused from his slumbers, and inci- 
ted to pause, consider, deliberate ? Another subject 
elicits his attention. The beloved sins he must re- 
linquish, the unearthly affections he must cultivate, 
and the self-denying duties he must perform, pass 
through his mind. The sacrifice appears too great; 
the delusive charms of earth dazzle his eyes ; and 
his feelings shrink back, and seek to evade the pain- 
ful surrender. " Alienated from the life of God," 
no heavenly disposition burns within his breast, no 
celestial joy warms his bosom, in view of the sacri- 
fices to be made, the duties to be performed, or the 
end to be obtained. What then, shall he do ? Deny 
Himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ? The 



94 



thought awakens his aversion ; it requires him to 
sign the death-warrant of all his sinful joys. Shall 
he seek peace in postponement of duty, and resolu- 
tions of future amendment ? This does not fully sat- 
isfy his reason. Death may arrest him in an unex- 
pected moment. He does not, at all times, feel per- 
fectly safe. His "danger of eternal damnation" 
occasionally haunts his mind, and excites a " fearful 
looking for of judgement and fiery indignation." 

To secure exemption from every fear, and yet re- 
tain in undiminished strength his love of sin, what 
can be done? Why, embrace the doctrine of Univer- 
sal salvation. This many a sinner attempts, and, 
perhaps, succeeds. All is now safe. He can sin 
on without restraint, and yet hope for heaven. His 
sins may expose him to some temporary evils, but 
not to the loss of heaven, nor the pains of eternal 
deaths There is no eternal hell ; heaven is sure; 
not because he really believes, in his sober moments, 
that he has one heavenly disposition, but because — 
Jill will be saved. Perhaps he even boldly asserts, 
what many of his brethren have done before him> 
that there is no such thing as regeneration in this 
life, and that all pretences to it are but the dreams 
of delusion. 

A "heart, deceitful above all things," carries him 
still further into the regions of inconsistency. Sen- 
sible that his renunciation of the doctrine of ever- 
lasting punishment, has taken away a most powerful 



95 



restraint upon his sinful inclinations, he is half in- 
duced to doubt the correctness of his present creed. 
An answer to his doubts is at hand. He is only de- 
livered from the fear of a slave, and now feels and 
acts with the affections and motives of a child. If 
he is less strict in his life, the deficiency is more 
than cancelled by his increase of disinterested af- 
fections. 

Perhaps the climax is not yet completed. The 
thought may arise in his mind, Possibly I may have 
been led into my present belief, merely by desire to 
avoid all fear of my own ruin ; a desire perfectly 
selfish. As in the former case, an answer is at 
hand. He loves his fellow-men ; he cannot endure 
the thought of the endless ruin of one of his race; 
lie is influenced by feelings of pure and boundless 
benevolence. Christians of an opposite faith are now 
treated as the dwarfs of a dark age ; while he, with 
all his sin and guilt, glories in being a saint of al- 
most super-human excellence. The martyrs, who 
burned at the stake, and triumphed~amid their suf- 
ferings, and exclaimed with their last expiring breath, 
" This is not an eternal fire, like that prepared for 
"the wicked" were but children in the grace of be- 
nevolence, were but infants in christian piety. 

If these lines should meet the eye of any one, 
whose history it briefly describes, let him not be of- 
fended at the truth, but read his Bible, and humbly 
bow the knee in prayer to God, and henceforth cul- 



96 



tivate the graces of a christian spirit. This is, id- 
deed, the imperious duty of all ; a dutj, too, of im- 
mense importance. The essential graces of chris- 
tian piety will live and thrive in immortal vigor and 
ever-increasing beauty, when the material heavens 
and the earth are no more. In " the day of judg- 
ment and perdition of ungodly men," these graces 
will shine with a lustre, and be seen to possess a val- 
ue, which few mortals now suspect. Oh! then, 
" what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy 
conversation and godliness ; looking for and hasting 
unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the 
heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the 
elements shall melt with fervent heat," 



FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 



|To fill up a part of a sheet which still remains, 1 
subjoin th,e following extracts from a Discourse 
of the late Dr. Dwight, which are well worthy of 
the most serious and prayerful attention of every 
reader.] 

The destiny of one immortal mind is an object 
whose importance no finite thought can conceives 
no numbers estimate. How vast must be this object, 
when the number of such minds becomes so great 
as to reach the lowest limit to which the most en- 
larged charity will be compelled to extend it ! How 
entirely overwhelmed must he be who contemplates 
it, when he remembers, and beholds a melancholy 
experience verify, the declaration of our Savior, that 
" wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth 
to destruction, and many there be who go in there- 
at!" 

The punishment of the wicked is, as is well known 
to the reader, often asserted in the Scriptures to be 
"everlasting," to endure " for ever," and " for ever 
arid ever," The objectors insist that all the words 
and phrases of this nature denote a limited duration? 
and are never used to signify an absolute eternity. 
9 



/ 



98 



The meaning of all language is to be learned only 
from those who use it. If the manner in which they 
understand it is clearly discoverable from their wri- 
tings, we may by critical attention become possessed 
of its meaning ; if not, we are left without a reme- 
dy. Let us, therefore, in the present case, have re- 
course to the writers of the New-Testament, the on- 
ly persons from whom we can expect to derive ex- 
-plicit views concerning the subject in hand, that we 
may, if possible, determine this point in a satisfacto- 
ry manner. It is to be observed, then, 

1. That the words and phrases which have bee?i 
either mentioned or alluded to, appear to be used in 
the Scriptures to denote the longest period of which 
the subject mentioned in each case is capable. 

In one instance, the word " for ever" seems to 
signify merely a long period. " One generation 
passeth away, and another eometh^but the earth abi- 
deth for ever." If the destruction of this world 
mentioned in the Scriptures denotes the annihilation 
of its atoms, as well as the ruin of its form and 
structure, then the earth can be said to abide for ev- 
er with a limited meaning only ; to wit, that it will 
endure for a long time, compared with a period of a 
human generation. But if the elements are to sur- 
vive this destruction, and become the materials of 
" the new earth, wherein righteousness shall dwell," 
then the term is used in a literal sense, and denotes 
an endless duration. 



99 



In such other cases, as I have observed, this word 
is employed to denote the longest period of which 
the subject united ivith it is capable. Thus " a ser- 
vant for ever," is a servant during the longest peri- 
od in which he can be a servant ; that is, during life. 
li An ordinance for ever," is an ordinance continu- 
ing through the longest time in which it can be an 
ordinance; that is, throughout the whole continu- 
ance of the dispensation of which it is a part; viz. 
the Mosaic dispensation. 

In the same manner, "the everlasting hills," and 
" the everlasting mountains," denote hills and moun- 
tains enduring throughout the longest possible peri- 
od which is predicable of them ; to wit, while the 
earth endures. 

But if these words, when applied to the continu- 
ance of things in the future world, are used in this 
manner, they unquestionably denote an absolute 
eternity. For with respect to these things such a 
duration will then evidently be possible. 

2. The phrase commonly rendered "for ever and 
ever," is used, if 1 mistake not, eighteen times in the 
New-Testament ! In fifteen instances it is applied 
to the continuance of the glory, perfections, gov- 
ernment, and praise of God. In one, (Rev. xxii : 
5.) it is said of the righteous in the future world, 
that " they shall reign for ever and ever." In one 
of the remaining two, it is said of the impenitent, 
that is, of those among them who worship the beast 



100 

and his image, that " the smoke of their torment as- 
cendeth up for ever and ever." In the remaining 
instance, it is said of the devil, who deceived the na- 
tions, of the beast, and of the false prophet, that 
" In the lake of fire and brimstone, they shall be 
tormented, day and night, forever and ever." 

Now let me ask, whether a man, even of moderate 
understanding, could be supposed to write with scru- 
pulous integrity a system of theology, and employ 
this phrase sixteen times to denote an obsolute eter- 
nity, and twice to denote that which was infinitely 
different; while these were the only instances in 
which the phrase was applied to a given subject, and 
that of immeasurable importance to those for whom 
he wrote ? But if such a man cannot be supposed 
thus to use language, nor vindicate it when used in 
this manner, can such conduct be attributed safely to 
the Spirit of God ? 

3. In Matthew, xxv. 46, " These shall go away in- 
to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into 
life ETERNal," the same Greek word is applied to the 
future happiness of the righteous, and to the future 
misery of the wicked. 

On this application I have two remarks to make. 

The first is : that it is applied to both these sub- 
jects in exactly the same manner ; without any mark, 
or hint, of a distinction in the use of the word. 
Plainly, therefore, we are not warranted to suppose 



101 

any such distinction, unless we are taught it else- 
where in the Scriptures. 

It is to be remarked farther, that the same word is 
generally, and so far as I have observed, always, ap- 
plied in the same manner, without any appearance of 
an intentional distinction. 

My second remark is this : that the word is em- 
ployed in this passage to denote a duration which 
commences after what we commonly intend by time is 
ended. If, then, a limitation is not found elsewhere 
we shall be unwarranted, since it is used here in the 
absolute manner, to believe, that the duration which 
it expresses will have any limits. The longest dura- 
tion which will then be possible, the longest which 
may be predicated of the enjoyments of the right- 
eous, and the sufferings of wicked, will certainly be 
eternal. 

4. TJie terms in which the sufferings of the im- 
penitent are spoken of hi other passages of Scrip- 
ture, leave, so far as I can discern, no hope of their 
termination. 

The following examples will sufficiently illustrate 
this observation. In the second epistle of St. Peter, 
it is said of the wicked, " that they will utterly perish 
in their own corruption.*' It cannot be denied that 
the destruction spoken of in this passage is declared 
to be absolute, and must be either annihilation, or 
eternal woe. But annihilation cannot be that long- 
continued suffering to which the abettors of the dor- 
9* 



103 



trine here opposed acknowledge the wicked to be 
consigned in Matt. xxv. 46. 

In Mark ix. 43, the immediate means of suffering 
to the impenitent are styled by our Saviour, " the 
fire that never shall be quenched." 

In several passages of the Scriptures, particularly 
in Matt. xxv. 46 ; Dan. xii. 2 ; Matt. xiihS6, &c. ? 
the happiness of the righteous and the sufferings of 
the wicked are exhibited to us in what may be called 
a parallel manner ; and yet no intimation is given 
that the duration of the one will not be equally ex- 
tended with that of the other. 

In mark xiv. 21, our Savior says, " Woe to that 
man by whom the Son of man is betrayed. Good 
were it for that man that he had never been born," 
If Judas should be miserable through any limited 
duration, however long, and should afterward be hap- 
py through the eternity which would lie beyond it, 
this position must, with mathematical evidence, be 
seen to be untrue. 

In Luke xvi. 25, the rich man is informed by A- 
braham that " in his life time he had received his 
good things ; as Lazarus had likewise received his 
evil things." Lazarus had received all his evil 
things. The rich man must clearly, I think, be con- 
sidered as having received all his gobd things. Es- 
pecially will this be evident, when we remember 
that the declaration is made as a conclusive reason 



108 



why he could not receive a single drop of water, the 
only good thing for which he asked. 

In Psalm 50, which seems plainly to be an account 
of the last judgment, we have, in the ££d verse> sub- 
joined to this account, the following monition : 
" Now consider this, ye that forget God ; lest I tear 
you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." 

In Matt, xviii. £3, &c, we have the parable of the 
servant who owed ten thousand talents, and had noth- 
ing to pay. This servant his lord ultimately com- 
manded to be thrown into prison, and there confined 
until he should pay the debt. How evident is it that 
this man could never pay the debt, and therefore 
must forever remain in prison. 

In John iii. 36, our Saviour says " He that believ- 
eth not the Son shall not see life." I can conceive 
of no language which could more effectually cut off 
every hope of the impenitent than this. 

In Rev. xxi. £7, it is said, " There shall in no wise 
enter kito it," that is, into the heavenly city, " any 
thing that defileth, or that worketh abomination or 
that maketh a lie ; but they who are written in the 
Lamb's book of Life." According to the declara- 
tions of Scripture, all impenitent sinners are defilers. 
They all work that which is abominable in the sigh t 
of God ; and in this character, as they have not re- 
pented, nor believed in the Redeemer, nor ceased to 
ein, they will all appear before their Judge; an& 



104 



therefore will "in no wise" be permitted to enter tbe 
heavenly city. 

To all this, however, it is further objected, that 
God cannot justly punish the sins of men, who art fi- 
nite beings, with an infinite and endless punishment. 
To this it has been often replied, that although men 
are finite beings, yet as their obligation to obedience 
is great in proportion to the greatness and excellency 
of God, it is of course infinite. To violate infinite 
obligation is plainly an infinite evil; heinous, and 
deserving infinite punishment. The same conclusion 
is also drawn by much the same course of reasoning 
from the tendency of sin to oppose the designs and 
glory of God, and the supreme good of his creation, 
I shall not, however, insist on these arguments, nor 
on the conclusion to which they conduct us; but 
proceed to other considerations which lie more with- 
in our reach. 

1. God may justly punish sin so long as it exists) 
and it may exist forever. 

He who sius through this life may evidently sin 
through another such period, and another, and an- 
other, without end. That while we continue to sin f 
God may justly punish us, if he can justly punish us 
at all, is equally evident. No reason can be given 
why sin may not be punished at any future time with 
as much justice and propriety as at the present. — 
That it may be justly punished at the present time, 



103 



cannot be denied, any more than that it is in fact pun* 
ished. 

2. The Scriptures teach us, that sinners who die 
in impenitence will not cease to sin throughout eter- 
nity. 

The supposition that their sufferings in a future 
world will be complete, involves it as a consequence* 
that they will continue to sin. If they were to be- 
come penitent and virtuous, they would of course 
possess many enjoyments, and those of a very im- 
portant nature. Our Saviour speaking to St. John 
concerning those who in the future world are exclu- 
ded from heaven, says, (Rev. xxii. 15,) "Without 
are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and 
murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and 
maketh a lie." It will not be questioned that this is 
an account of sinners. It cannot be qnestioned that 
this is an account of their existing character in the 
future world. 

"Do therefore," says Solomon, (Eccl. ix. 10.) 
u what thy hand findeth to do with thy might: for 
there is no work, device, knowledge, nor wisdom, in 
the world of spirits, whither thou goest." " Wis- 
dom/' in the language of Solomon, denotes virtue 
or the religion of the heart. "Work" here intends 
t he work of salvation ; the work in which virtue is 
assumed, and increased. There is, then, in that 
world, no work of salvation, no assumption of virtue* 
Of course, those who get into that world in the ch?a 



106 



ae*er of sinners, still continue to sin. They may 
therefore be punished with the same justice as in the 
present world ; and the Scriptures declare, in Matt, 
xxv. 46, and many other passages that, they are pun- 
ished. 

3. These things art all said and done after the 
close of the present dispensation; and after the 
commencement of that dispensation which in the 
Scriptures isrepresentrd as eternal and mxchangen- 
hle. 

There is no hint given us, either in the Old or 
New Testaments, *hat the dispensation, which will 
commence alter the judgement, will ever change. 
On the contrary, so far as it is mentioned at all, it is 
always spoken of as enduring, and immutable. In 
Heb. xii. £6—28, St. Paul says, " Whose voice then 
shook the earth : but now r he hath promised, saying, 
Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also 
heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth 
the removing of those things that are shaken, as of 
things that are made, that those things which can- 
not be shaken may remain. . Wherefore, we receiv- 
ing a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have 
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with 
reverence and godly fear." From this passage it is 
evident that the things which are not shaken will re- 
main steadfast and immoveable. But were there 
nothing explicitly declared concerning this subject, 
the very silence of the scriptures forbids a rational 



107 



belief of any such alteration, since the belief rests 
on nothing but a mere hypothesis, gratuitously a- 
dopted. 

Trust not, then, your souls, your eternal safe- 
ty, to the doctrines of Universalism. Launch not 
into the ocean of eternity upon this plank. Flee to 
Christ, the ark in which you will be secured from 
every danger. Waste not your probation in seek- 
ing 4 * refuges of lies," in "making covenants with 
death, and agreements with hell." Remember thatj 
God hath said, " Your agreement with death shall 
be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall 
not stand." Remember, that Christ himself has 
told you, that " he who believeth on the Son, hath 
everlasting life and that " he who believeth not 
the Son, shall not see life ; but the wrath of Gosl 
abideth on him." 



i 




i 



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^ ligious Publications recently issued from the /Tfefl 
ig, press, and keep on hand every thing valuable |J« 
^ in the theological department. They are A-^H 

gents for the Maine Sabbath School Union, an ^(^B 
^have on hand a complete assortment of Books ^fl 
^ suitable for Sabbath School Libraries, and C7ass^« 
^ Booh, for sale at the Union prices. ^ || 

^ They also keep the Tract Depository, con-^|H 
^taining more than 200 kinds of Religious ^B 
^ Tracts for sale at one mill a page. ^ m 

^ They have a very extensive assortment of^H 
^ Books for children and youth, at from one cent^H 
^>to one dollar — together with a general assort-^B 

ment of School Boohs and Stationary, which m% 
^they offer by wholesale or retail on the most^H 
^ favorable terms. 

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§ 

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